The Return
by Moonfiregoldeyes
Summary: Crossover between Inuyasha and Fullmetal Alchemist. After the defeat of Naraku, the gang is sucked into a portal that lands them into Amestris. Ratings may change
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: Chances

"Brother, are you sure we should meet with them? I mean, I thought you said we couldn't go back." Alphonse Elric tagged after his brother like so many times before into a shady looking bar. Moving swiftly, the golden haired boys choose a seat at the back, ordering food and drink to drive the cold of Germany's winter from their bones.

Edward didn't look up from the table, deep in thought from the message he had gotten from the mysterious people that had decided to show up on his doorstep. _'If you'd like to see Amestris again, meet us at the Dragon's Head at midnight.'_ "Al, doesn't it strike you odd that they used our name instead of Shamballa? Maybe, maybe they're from there too. And if they know a way to get home without using alchemy, without sacrificing human life, don't you think it's worth investigating? If we can go home, I'd like to see Winry again, and the others at Central. Grandma Pinako too. Could you see Mustang's face when we walk into his office, like we just got back from some far off mission?" Edward was startled from his wanderings when the food was placed on the table, and the pair was joined by three people, two men and one woman.

"Please it, I understand that you came a long way to see us." The woman waved her hand with a flourish, requesting drinks for herself and her companions. "My name is Ayra. (A-ra) I understand you are not from this world."

Right down to business, but she moved with such grace and ease that it was easy to fall into it. "Perhaps. How do you know the name Amestris? Are you with the Thule society?"

"Heaven's no! Those crackpots aren't part of us. We, my fair-headed alchemist, are one-of-a-kind genuine gate travelers, and we have a proposition for you." Ayra pulled a folder from her coat pocket. "I need you to understand something. You die there, you die. No going anywhere else. And if you choose to take the deal, you can not return to here."

Edward closed his eyes, thinking about what he had gleaned from Ayra and the journal. "To be able to see my friends again, to use alchemy. Noah is married, and in America now with the other gypsies. The war is started, and it looks like we couldn't have stopped it, nor the atomic bomb. We've closed the gate and the Thule society is no longer a threat to us or our world. We move from place to place to avoid the war, and the Nazis. We no longer have a purpose here. If there is a chance to get home, I will take it. Alphonse makes his own choices."

"I go where you go brother!" Alphonse readily agreed, also worked up about the prospect of going home.

"That's your answer then and when do we leave?" Edward slapped his palms together in an old and very inefficient habit.

"At dawn, gather your belonging and meet us at the 83 Street station. We can have someone take care of your apartment and other things. You won't becoming back of course, that's pretty much impossible."

"Is there any chance that this could go wrong? That we would end up here in another time or something? Or another world altogether?" Al was always thinking in terms of might bes and what ifs. He was a theorist of the best kind, but sometimes Edward grew tired of his clinical outlook on life. Years of being a suit of armor had made him sometimes detached, but at others like a three year old kid in a toy store.

"Nothing is a certainty. But you can not gain without risk." Ayra stood, motioning to her two followers to rise as well. "We look forward to helping you home."

'_As I look forward to going home.'_ Ed thought, watching as the three strangers left the bar.


	2. Mistakes

Chapter One: Mistakes

"Kagome! Hurry up damn it! We haven't got all fucking day!" The eighteen year old girl, now currently sitting in a damp, dirty old well, sighed as she looked straight up into the hanyou's face.

"I can't! I think I sprained my ankle." Buyo, who had once so many years ago got her down the well, had tripped her into it no less than three minutes ago. Already her day had become hazard ridden, and it wasn't yet past dawn.

"Clumsy wench." Inuyasha floated gently down into the well, landing softly beside her. In all the times she'd seen him jump and land, he always seemed to fly. "How the hell did you manage it this time?"

Of course, this wasn't the only time she got hurt. Rocks, tree branches, her own feet even, were obstacles that she couldn't manage to avoid, no matter how hard she tried. "Buyo. He went after my skirt edge and I tripped over him."

Inuyasha grunted, tenderly feeling her ankle to assess the damage. For all his gruff words, he couldn't seem to muster up the willpower to remain unconcerned. Not that he didn't try. "You'll be fine in a few hours; do you still have that wrap thing in your pack?" At her nod, he quickly found and wrapped her ankle to keep the swelling down. "There, good as new. Can we go now?"

"Thanks Inuyasha." Kagome remained unphased by his tone and words, watching instead his eyes. Leaning over, she kissed his cheek, dangerously close to the left side of his mouth.

The little touches between them had grown, either one initiating them during the day, wither it be a kiss or an arm around the other's waist, neither of them could keep their hands to themselves. It seemed that with the fall of Naraku, and with the final passing of Kikyo, any and all excuses that they had held on to for years now didn't matter any more. And neither of them could care less.

"Keh, just be more careful alright?" Inuyasha said, even though he smiled slightly and returned the gesture. Though neither had told the other, both found it increasing hard to hide their love.

"So, what exactly are we doing today?" Kagome allowed Inuyasha to pick her up, wrapping her arms around his neck to steady herself.

"Miroku heard that some village is being terrorized by some youkai lord, and my brother wants us to check it out. A wildcat I think he said." Inuyasha snorted. How he got labeled Japan's protector he could never figure out, but it didn't matter. Any village in trouble would come running to him, and if he didn't help Kagome would glare at him and accept anyway. And his brother used him as a little errand boy. He just never got any respect around here.

At least Sesshomaru wasn't trying to kill him anymore. That being a major plus. Inuyasha guessed that saving his future mate would get the bastard into his debt. Not that he'd take advantage of that, not him.

Yeah right.

"How far?" Kagome of course went with him every time, not like he had a say in the matter.

"Just a day or so. You brought back ramen right?" Kagome played with the completed Jewel that hung around his neck. After the battle, Inuyasha took the responsibility of guarding both it and her. Along with the Kotodama, they were the only thing that hung around his neck. He kept the locket next to his skin, tucked into his haori beside his heart.

"Eventually my mother will go broke buying all that ramen. Then what'll you do?" Kagome waved to the approaching Shippo, who was running so fast she expected the grass to catch fire.

"If you didn't buy so many toys and pocky for the runt, you'd have more money for the ramen wench. I've explained this to you before." Inuyasha had indeed explained that nothing held more importance that his ramen and everything else just taking up space and money. He then spent two hours sulking in a tree after the tremendous amount of sits he had acquired.

"INUYASHA! KAGOME!" Little Shippo came to a stop before them. "Miroku sent me to find you! Something's in the village!" He became hysterical, jumping around and throwing his hands in the air for emphasis.

"What exactly is in the village?" Inuyasha had already started in the direction of the village. Dropping Kagome's bag back inside the well, he took off, stopping to let Shippo onto his shoulders so he could listen to him.

"Miroku says it looks like some sort of portal." Shippo shivered. "He says it doesn't feel like youkai, and he can't tell what it is or where it leads. He wants you to check it out."

"Keh, which means the wench is staying here." He ran up to Miroku and Sango, both dressed and armed for battle, and dropped Kagome beside them. About fifty feet away, what looked like a dark purple circle hung about three feet in the air. It was six feet tall and about four feet across. The feeling it gave off wasn't something that Inuyasha had felt before, and his hackles rose as it pulsed. His instincts told him that wasn't something he wanted to be near, or near his pack. "Get back." He growled, tightening his grip on Tetsusaiga.

"Have you seen anything like it Kagome?" Sango sounded as nervous as Inuyasha.

"No. It kind of reminds me of the portal that Naraku went through, but…it's different." Kagome shook her head. "I don't think we should bother it."

"Maybe it'll disappear; it just showed up a few minutes earlier." Miroku shrugged.

"Feh, I doubt anything good comes of it." He rolled his shoulders. "Keep an eye on it Miroku. Sango, Kagome, do you think you can handle the wildcat youkai by yourself? If something does come out of it, I'd like to know what it is." Even though he was insecure of letting Kagome go off alone, he didn't want to let the portal out of his sight. She had gotten better with her archery and miko powers, so maybe it was time to cut the apron strings; whatever that meant. He'd heard Mrs. Higurashi use it once.

"Of course, we'll have Kirara with us just in case." Sango gave a small shake of her head. "If I know where she went."

"I'll help you, my Lady Sango." Miroku said eagerly, jumping to her side. Of course, he just wanted some alone time with his lovely new wife.

"I told you to stay put houshi, don't test my patience." Inuyasha growled, suddenly becoming interested in the conversation. Kagome had climbed back onto his back so they could go and get her pack.

"I think I'm entitled to a few moments with my wife, especially when she seems to have a problem that needs solving. It will only take a few minutes." Miroku was having a tough time keeping his tongue in check. Inuyasha, while happy that his two friends were happy and together, he was also jealous. As a part, he would sometimes take his aggravations out on Miroku, or more precisely, Miroku's 'alone time' with the wife.

"Keh, stay here. Me and Kagome can help her just fine." He bit back, knowing he was being unfair. However, he didn't care.

"And if my husband wants to help me, Inuyasha, I doubt that it's your decision to make wither he does or not. For all I care you can stay here and he can go with me!" Sango had also noticed his weird behavior, and was frankly tired of it.

"Umm, guys?" Kagome, not wanting to get noticed, spoke up. She was watching as a familiar little neko pranced across the field, right towards the item in question. A glowing purple portal.

They continued to argue, clueless that the whole cause of the problem was unfolding right in front of them. "Hey guys!" She grabbed a hold of Inuyasha's hair, not noticing the slight warmth from his chest as she did so.

"What!?" "Let Go!" Were the responses she got, and all she could do was point in the direction she wanted them to look.

A basic thought ran through each head at exactly the same time. 'That is not good.' Except for Kirara, she was a cat and she knew what she was doing.

All at once, they took off, Sango crying out to Kirara to get away from the 'blasted thing right now!' But of course, Kirara was a cat on a mission and was not going to be dissuaded that easily.

As the group approached, Kirara edged closer to the portal, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Being a cat, she knew exactly what was going on. She had her ways. She knew the only way to solve the problem was to go through the glowing ball. Plus, a cat could only take so much relaxation before she went stir crazy

Inuyasha was beginning to feel odd. It was similar to free falling off a cliff, all his nerves tingling and hair rising. And he felt warm. Even with Kagome lying on his back, his skin felt like it was burning. He felt Kagome cry out, and her arms tighten around his neck. Hearing her cry out, he finally took his eyes off the cat to look back at the portal. It was spinning like one of those tops in Kagome's world, and the edges sparked and shone as small arms out from the center to reach for them. Too late he realized how close they were.

Miroku had realized the same thing when he heard the hanyou start cursing it at the top of his lungs. He went to look for Sango, but the increasing light made it hard to see anything. He felt something brush his arm, and he latched onto it with both arms. As a tingling started in his fingers, he registered the soft curls of Sango's hair under them.

With two of them comparing it to a trip through the well, all experienced a similar tingling sensation. Blind, deaf, and mute, they quickly lost consciousness as they fell into the portal.

Amestris

Two days after Alphonse and Edward arrived back to Amestris.

"Brother, what exactly are we doing? We still need to call the Colonel and Winry's really worried about us being out of the house." Alphonse Elric followed hesitantly after his brother, who seemed to be on a mission up into the mountains near Rizembool.

"It shouldn't take very long Al, and you could have stayed behind if you wanted to." Edward drew an arm across his forehead to wipe away the sweat falling into his eyes. It was defiantly summer here and Ed was starting to miss the wintery chill of Germany. He hadn't realized how different time followed until he was back. Five years in Germany had only been two here in Amestris. And he had finally grown the height needed to stand shoulder to shoulder with the bastard colonel, so the height jokes had been in 'short' demand. Ed had come up with that one all by himself.

"I know brother, but I didn't want you out here all by yourself, something could have happened." Al stopped to examine a tree which only grew in this part of the country. Maybe Russell and his brother Fletcher would like to come out and see them. It'd been awhile since they'd seen the imposter pair; it might be good for Ed to talk to someone his own age.

"Al, I've got alchemy again, and I haven't gotten rusty. I can take of myself thank you very much. Why don't you go help Grandma Pinoko or something? I'm not even sure of what's going to happen."

"All the more reason for me to accompany you brother.

"Here we are; what time is it?" Ed mumbled to himself as he bushed his way past the underbrush into the small field. Pulling the silver watch from his pocket, a scarred remainder of his past and possible future, he flipped it open, habitually looking over at the scratched writing on the left side. _'4:03. Right on time.'_ It was time to settle the score, equivalent exchange.

Settling Indian style on a flat rock, he looked to the center of the field, knowing that very soon that the empty field wouldn't be empty much longer.

_"When you get back to Amestris, two days after you arrive, walk half way up the mountain directly behind the Rockbell house. On the west side you shall find a small field. At exactly 4:07pm, a gate shall open and four people and two smaller creatures shall come through. To repay us for returning you to your home, all you have to do is help them return to their own world."_

Ayra had passed him the folder with only one piece of paper inside. On it was written those instructions. Having given his word, he would do it. However, he had to wonder what exactly he was getting himself into. He also had to wonder how they knew so much about his hometown.

"Alphonse, how much time does it take to get from here to Central?" The memories of the countless train rides he had taken in his youth, though only 22, had blurred together.

"Two days I think. I'm not sure." Alphonse stood off to one side, unsure of what his brother was doing. He knew he had promised the woman something, but he wasn't sure what.

Ed checked his watch again, agitated that only three minutes had passed. He was not a patient person on the best of days, and today had not been going his way. Flexing the new automail, he admired the craftsmanship that his old friend had put into it. _'I wonder how much damage it can take?'_ Ed flinched in instinctual habit at the thought; imagining what how much damage his head could take if Winry heard him think that, and if her wrench could take it.

It was lighter than the fake limbs he had to make do with in Germany, and had more range and motion. He had told her about the fake 'skin' that they had put over the artificial limbs to make them more life like and she had went into mechanic mode. Already she had spoken to every gear head and mechanical alchemist she knew and was starting plans to put it into action. Something to put between flesh and metal on days with extreme temperatures would have major potential.

They could take more, and didn't give out as often as the old ones did. He was surprised that Winry had one so soon for him, but was glad that he didn't have to put up with the spare for very long. Ayra hadn't let him bring any artificial limbs through the gate.

The gate itself was an oddity. When they had gone through, they had expected the same Doorway to appear and take 'payment' for their passage. However, they had been dropped off twenty feet from the Rockbell door safe and sound, all limbs firmly in place.

Except for Ed's missing two. Even though he had gotten his brother's body back, a small voice in his head resented the whole mess. Where was _his_ payment? He'd done all the work, didn't he deserve something?

"Brother! What is that?" Al's voice drew him from his thoughts, and he realized that the portal had appeared. Ten feet in the air, it swirled lazily counterclockwise.

"That's what we're waiting for Al." Ed stood and brushed off his pants. An unfamiliar feeling curled into his stomach, one he hadn't felt for a long time. Uncertainty.

A bright flash and both men shielded their eyes until it died down; leaving behind sun spots and a few crackles of energy. On the ground, lay four large human figures and a small lump buried under a pile of leaves. "Brother?" Al's voice was small, and he moved closer. Even though Al had matured into a tall and muscular teenager, already taller than his brother, he still sought comfort from his older brother.

"It's alright Al. I've been expecting them. There should be a cat around here too, along with a fox chimera I think?" Ayra hadn't been that specific about what the smallest member would be. A fox youkai is what she said. What the hell did that mean?

Edward approached the nearest figure, which appeared to be a man in his late teens or early twenties. His purple and black robes hid most of his body, but he didn't appear to be hurt. Close to his side, a woman around the same age but in some type of skirt instead. Her dark hair obscured her face, but again she seemed unhurt.

It was the two others that shocked him. The girl was in some type of short skit and shirt that he hadn't seen before. It was obvious that she was from some different world than the other three. The boy though, even without his silver hair and sharp claw like finger nails, was the one that drew Ed's eyes. Two small silver appendages lay against his head, mostly hidden by the mass of long hair. At closer inspection they appeared to be some type of animal ear, a cat or dog perhaps.

It was obvious that the later two were younger than the others. And the way the silver headed chimera clutched at the oddly dressed girl made it seem that they, at least, knew each other.

"I found them." Al approached with two small bodies in his arms, cradling them like babies. One of them seemed to be one, a toddler at least. He too was different than any human. His ears appeared sharper than a human's and the bushy fox tail that sprouted from his backside attested to that.

"Alright, now we wait for them to wake up." Ed brought his pack to his side. He and Al had taken care of themselves mostly in the other world, so they had been forced to learn the basic rudimentary of healing. After checking the new comers' vitals and bodies for injury, he shied away from the strange older chimera after seeing the sharp claws and fangs, he and Al settled in.

It was the chimera that woke up first, something that didn't surprise Ed much. It was just a moan at first, and then he started to shift around. Al had moved the two smaller ones away from the group, leaving Ed to himself. Not out of fear, he said, but because when the chimera woke up he would be wary and disoriented. The less he had to deal with the calmer he would be.

The first real sign of life happened fast. The chimera snorted once, and then bolted upright faster than Edward expected. His eyes remained closed, but the ears that had been pressed flat against his skull were now swiveling around like small disks. Immediately, they focused on Ed.

The eyes were next, cracking open slowly and blinking rapidly to adjust to the light. The color surprised him. They were gold, almost the same color as his own. They widened momentarily, and then narrowed to slits. A snarl erupted from the chimera's throat, and his lips lifted to reveal the deadly white fangs. The term, '_cornered dog'_ came to mind and he didn't have to ask what he was melded with.

"Who the fuck are you?" His voice was rough, and the snarl never stopped as he spoke. His body lifted and glided, proving that he was as fit and wild as his animal counterpart. In a mere second he had went from flat on his back to a defensive crouch in front of the alchemist; blocking his view of the remaining humans.

A wave of caution and alertness broke through his mind. No matter what he thought, this creature might not be with the others. He might even be an enemy or a threat to their lives. Hell, he might hurt them for the fun of it. Did his animalist body affect his mind and attitude?

"My name is Edward Elric, who are you? What is your relationship with them?" A sneer of distaste grew on his face, causing his eyes and nose to wrinkle.

"Keh, I don't have to tell you anything." His ears swiveled in Al's direction, and he took a deep sniff. "Tell your brother to put my friends down."

Ed felt his eyes grow wide. How did he know that was his brother? "Not until you answer my questions."

"Feh." He snorted, and turned his attention back to the unconscious figures behind him. Giving him a warning glare, he darted over to their sides. He checked first and longest on the girl he had been holding, first sniffing her hair and face before putting his fingers to her neck. Seeing those deadly claws on the girl's neck caused Edward to stiffen, and his metal arm to rustle as he flexed his fingers. The gold eyes flickered back to him, then away. Satisfied with his findings, he darted over to the others, doing the same thing. He moved faster then any living creature that Edward had seen.

He proved it when all Ed saw, and all Al felt, was a blur of red and a small shift in the air and then he had both the fox and cat tucked into his own arms, crouched again by the girl once again.

"Hey!" Ed was on his feet, advancing on the strange boy. He stopped when a snarl harsher than the first tore through the air, directed straight at him. He watched as he conducted the same strange examination that he had done to the others. When he had finished, he placed the fox beside the girl he was sitting next to and the two-tailed cat next to the other woman.

"Now, you're going to answer some of _my_ questions. Where the hell am I and why the fuck am I here?" The boy took a sword from his side and flopped down on the ground with his legs crossed, again directly between him and the unconscious group. Ed was sure that wasn't a coincidence.

"Tell me your name first." Ed asked again, feeling like a bug under a microscope as the chimera's eyes stayed on him, but his ears continued to swivel around, more than once stopping on the group behind him. He was no longer worried about the boy hurting them; the amount of care and worry he had shown them made him certain the boy knew of them and at least cared something about them. If he was right, he cared more for the strange girl than the rest.

Studying him, he snorted and said, "Inuyasha, now fucking answer the question."

Al gave a cough that sounded strangely like a laugh and both boys looked over at him. "Nothing. It's nothing." Already Al could see that the chimera Inuyasha had more in common with his brother then his temper. He was stubborn and foulmouthed.

"You're in Amestris, near Rizembool. I don't know why you're here, I was just told to meet you. Do you remember anything from before? How you got here or where you're from?" Ed watched as Inuyasha considered his answer, showing that though he was hotheaded, he wasn't stupid.

"Some portal I guess. We got too close and it yanked us in." He looked over at Al, who was walking closer. "So which one of you is in charge? And why am I talking to the runt?"

Edward gave a snarl of his own. "I. Am. Not. A. Runt." He said, spitting each word.

"Whatever." Inuyasha rolled his eyes, eyeing Al as he joined his brother. "I'm from Japan." Ed nodded, having heard of it from others in Germany. "Kagome's from the same place, but a different time. Don't ask me, I don't have a clue."

Ed could tell he was lying, but didn't call him on it. "Kagome's the one with the weird dress right? Who's the other two?"

"Miroku and Sango." His ears flicked back when one of them stirred slightly, but otherwise didn't make any other signs of waking. "Kirara is the cat, and Shippo's the fox."

"So," Al asked, decided that sooner rather than later would be best for this particular matter. "How long have you been a chimera?"

"Alphonse!" Edward did not want to anger the chimera, who seemed to be vastly overprotective and unstable. And he had fought chimeras before; animal parts weren't the only things they gained from the combining alchemy. Super strength, unnatural reflexes, and enhanced senses. Fighting one wasn't what he wanted to do when he was still rusty at alchemy. "What my brother means, is when did someone perform alchemy on you?"

"A chimera?" Now Inuyasha was really confused, and it showed. "I don't know what you're talking about, and what the hell is alchemy?"

"Chimera, part human, parts something else." Al recited, pointing to his ears. "Alchemists use human alchemy, which is against the law, to meld one creature with another. Usually they put humans with animals. Most of the time they don't turn out right, or they have diminished humanity. Most of them die or the military takes care of them."

"Takes care of them." Inuyasha said; his voice flat. "You mean kill them." With that, he stalked off, back to his friends.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

More fucking humans. Now he wasn't even born, he was fucking _made_. And apparently he _didn't turn out right._ And with the looks the humans were giving him, he had _diminished humanity_. He couldn't be trusted around other humans.

He looked down at Kagome, who looked so peaceful in her unnatural sleep. She didn't think he was evil, or unnatural, or untrustworthy. She loved him. Loved him as a hanyou. Loved him because he was him. Not even though he was a hanyou. She loved him. That was all that matters. No body else mattered.

He thought that maybe the two were different. They hadn't attacked him in his sleep, hadn't tried to take him away from his friends. But they weren't. It seemed they had their own version of half-breeds and they weren't much loved either.

Inuyasha traced the curve of Kagome's cheek as he thought, marveling at the soft skin that his own callused finger traced over. He was careful that he didn't touch his claws to her face, more from habit then anything else. Even a little too much pressure and he could draw blood.

A sudden spike in the tangy scent of fear came from the two humans; he couldn't stop his lips from drawing back in a silent snarl. He would never hurt Kagome. Never hurt a human unless they hurt him first.

Maybe it was better that he had diminished humanity. Humans weren't all that good to begin with. Even his bastard of a brother had honor; he let him fight back. Sesshomaru had waited until he had hit maturity before he had started to try to kill him. 'This Sesshomaru would find no pleasure or honor in killing a pup, even a half-breed one at that.' It didn't mean he took care of him, but at least he didn't beat him every chance he got, or torture him for having ears like a dog's or pointed teeth. Didn't starve him and turn him into a glorified pet. With Sesshomaru, he had his honor.

Inuyasha glared back up at the blonde, meeting the gold eyes until they moved away. He wasn't the only unnatural one here. At least he didn't have metal limbs that smelled like Kagome's 'cars'. Or the other that smelled like he had just been born a few years ago. His scent didn't match up with his age; he should be Rin's age at the most.

But there was a headiness in both their scents that linked them as family. Even with their gold eyes and hair, he knew they were brothers by the oddness of their scent. It seemed their father had not been entirely human himself. Keh, served 'em right.

"Inuyasha, we didn't mean any insult by it." The older one, Edward, called, having moved from his sitting position to stand in front of the other, who was looking ashamed of himself. "We were just curious by it."

"Feh." Wither they meant to insult him or not, they still believed that chimeras or half-breeds where lesser, unnatural beings. This was why Miroku did most of the talking. Even when he had a wind tunnel in his hand he was still considered human.

Kagome was waking up little by little. When she did wake up, Inuyasha was torn between either taking her to a nearby tree or just take off with her. That was his first instinct when he had woke up, but he realized that he couldn't carry the rest with him. If he had to, he could easily kill any threat that approached his pack.

He didn't want to leave the others, but it was obvious to him that they would have a better chance at survival. He wouldn't leave Kagome though, no matter what.

"Inu…" The girl lying beside him stretched out in her sleep, and then rolled closer to the warmth that radiated from his body. Worry lines appeared on her forehead, and she gave a small snort. That was the only warning he got before her hand snaked out and smacked him in the head.

"Goddamn it all to hell." He growled, grabbing her hand and holding it in one of his own. What was with her hitting him! At least she wasn't sitting him anymore; but still, she was violent in her sleep!

"Inuyasha?" A slight tug and he released her hand, knowing that she was waking up and he didn't want to explain to her that she had a nasty little habit that kept him in his stupid trees. She had yet to climb one to smack him in the head.

"Come on wench, I'm getting old here." He riled her, taking in her scent again. The smell of the portal was fading, and Kagome's natural scent was returning. Running his fingers through her hair, he started to hum. "Wake up."

"Five more minutes?" She mumbled, and then yawned.

"No more minutes, wench. Don't you remember what happened?" She groaned and started to sit up, then fell back. Inuyasha caught her so she didn't hit her head on the way down, but let her lay.

"Inuyasha, what happened? Where's everyone else?" She panicked as best she could, flailing around as she tried to sit up. "Where are we?"

"Like I know. Everybody's fine, still asleep, but they should be waking up soon. How's your head?" He had had a huge headache when he woke up; but it had faded quickly.

"Oh, fine. Feeling better." She calmed down after she had looked over at the unconscious figures of her friends. Turning her eyes to her hanyou protector, a trusting smile on her lips, and spoke. "How are you?"

"Keh, stupid wench. I'm a fucking half-breed remember?" Somehow the words had come out harsher than ever before, and the wounded look that hadn't graced her face in a few scarce weeks returned. "I'm fine!" He snapped, feeling the irritating sensation of the strangers' eyes on him. "Can you sit up?" He said, not comfortable with everyone staring at him.

"Yeah, help me?" Kagome realized that something other than her had sat his nerves on edge, and decided that drawing attention to it would not make it better.

"Is your friend feeling better?" Kagome jumped as a strange voice inquired about her. Inuyasha gave a snarl before he gained control of himself.

"Stupid fucking human…" He growled, arranging Kagome so she sat in his protective embrace. "Why don't you fucking jump off a cliff!" He shot back, pulling Kagome into his lap so they could both look at the intruders.

Surprised, the girl in his grip looked up at him, frowning. Sure Inuyasha was distrustful and rude, but he never took a dislike to someone that fast. They must have said something that offended him while she was still asleep. The reply to her question earlier came to mind.

"Would you like some water? Kagome right?" The taller one asked, holding up a canteen for inspection. He was dressed in finer clothes than the shorter one, and his shorter hair was only up a ponytail while his friend had a braid that matched Inuyasha's in length.

"I didn't get any damn water." Inuyasha grumbled, but allowed the human to give his charge the offering. He did, however, keep a fierce glare on them at all times, warning them that if they put a toe out of line he would willingly chop it off and all that was connected.

"Thank you, what was your name?" Kagome passed the canteen over her shoulder, ignoring the grumbles that followed. He wouldn't say anything, or ask, but he was thirsty.

"Alphonse Elric, this is my older brother Edward." The one who had offered the canteen watched as the chimera downed the whole thing, not asking wither the girl had wanted anymore.

"Hello. I assume you already know Inuyasha?" Kagome watched as the two grew pensive, reserving judgment before they decided if the liked the strange boy or not. "Don't worry about him, he's perfectly harmless."

"Bitch, I am not!" Inuyasha did not want those humans thinking they could take him. He wasn't worried about winning the fight or not, but he didn't want Kagome to be upset if they did make a big deal about his mixed blood. "Keh, I can kill them without even drawing Tetsusaiga." Turning his nose up, he snorted, smirking inwardly when the tangy scent of anger filled the air again.

Al groaned, knowing that an insult, however strange, would not make it past his brother unchallenged. He was not disappointed.

"What was that? You want to fight?" Edward jumped to his feet, causing the gleaming metal of his automail arm to attract Kagome's attention.

"Feh, I don't fight ichildren/i. Why don't you run home and drink some milk or something." Inuyasha, having been itching for a fight for the last twenty minutes, jumped at the chance. All he had to do was piss the human off enough so Kagome couldn't blame it on him.

"That's it! Get up here and face me chimera!" Edward towered over the seated pair, trying to intimidate the boy with his height, while he had the advantage that is.

"What did you call him?" Inuyasha, who had been in the process of standing, flinched and crouched instinctively. He knew that tone, and he knew exactly what it meant.

"A chimera, that's what he is right?" Ed didn't get why the silver-haired chimera had been getting ready to fight only to stop at the girl's voice. Sure, she sounded ticked, but what damage could she possibly do to anyone else, much less a chimera of his stature? Shouldn't she be afraid of him?

Kagome knew something of chimeras, and not just the Greek myths. A few months ago she had to do a report over human/animal experiments and some of the products of such travesty had in fact been called chimeras. DNA scrambling, and cross testing resulting in mutants, and most scientists decided to name the failures 'chimeras' after the monster of Greek myth that was a jumble of creatures; most commonly a lion, goat, and snake of some sort.

Upon thinking of it, it was no wonder that Inuyasha had gotten so testy. Most likely he didn't know what a chimera was until they had explained it to him, and that had resulted in him taking offense.

"I sincerely doubt you know what you're talking about. And if you ever call him that again, I will personally rip out your tongue and force feed it to you. Inuyasha is a hanyou, he is not a chimera." Having been around Inuyasha for a few years, she had learned a few verbal and nonverbal tones. Threatening someone, however, was an art that he had perfected in her from the get-go. Him the one being threatened had been a minor trifle.

Inuyasha was trying to decide if it would be grinning or running. At least her anger wasn't directed at him yet. However, this human boy would learn that Kagome had a bite of her own. Keeping himself out of sight, though, would prove a challenge. Kagome's anger had a habit of ricocheting back to him, no matter how she got started.

"Look girl, I don't know what a hanyou is, but I'm fairly certain that he wasn't born that way." Ed frowned, unsure in how to continue. This girl reminded him of Winry, that in and of itself couldn't be good. Still, she couldn't be that scary. The chimera—hanyou—must just be a coward.

Inuyasha felt his blood run cold. Not from anger, but from fear of the anger pouring off of Kagome in waves. Yeah, running seemed like a good idea right now. Keeping his movements slow and unhurried, he backed away from both girl and boy. He'd learned that arguing with Kagome when she was that pissed was not going to further his courting. The strange boy was on his own.

"And I'm fairly certain that you weren't born stupid, but we get proved wrong everyday. Now, sit down, shut up, and don't say another word to either of us if you want to keep yourself in one piece." Her tone left no room for argument, and all three males obeyed out of instinct. Snorting, she spun on her heel, muttering things about closed minded Neanderthal jerks that needed to be kicked in the ass. Walking over to the cowering Inu-hanyou, she sat beside him, all her energy being converted into quivers that belayed her still seething temper.

"Kagome, it's alright. I've heard worse." Inuyasha, taking a chance, moved closer to wrap an arm around her shoulder. "Ain't nothing new." Seeing the tell-tale signs of tears, he mentally groaned. Great, now he had to kill them. No one made Kagome cry.

"It still isn't right Inuyasha, you didn't do anything to deserve it." Her bottom lip quivered, and silver trails began to form on her cheeks. "You—they—" Her voice broke, and the emotional stress that she had been holding back rather well so far overwhelmed her. Choking back as many sobs as she could, she huddled closer to her protector. "You are so much better than so many other people I've met. Why can't anyone else see it too?"

Ears dropping back, Inuyasha gathered her up into his lap in an attempt to console her. Cupping the back out of her head, he felt tears soak through his haori. It had been so long since she had cried last, and it was still his fucking fault. Only his mother had shed tears for him before, and it damned well made him uncomfortable to see this normally cheerful girl crying over him.

Still, he couldn't help but be proud of her. She had not only stood up for him, not that he needed it, but had cowed her opponents into submission. A strong alpha bitch would do the same for any of her pack. And Kagome was no weakling.

Drawing his gaze from the top of her head to the gaping humans, he sneered. He saw the younger one gulp. Both looked stunned. Why? Was it because Kagome had come running to him, for comfort? Or because the 'little girl' had delivered such strong words in his defense? Deciding that a few threats of his own wouldn't make matters any worse and he didn't want to appear weak and in need of a woman's protection, he added his own words.

"Hurt my pack, and nothing will save you. Hurt Kagome again, and I'll enjoy ripping you to pieces. She is my bitch, imine/i. I might seem less to you, but Kagome will always be more important than anything you could offer." Narrowing his eyes, he smiled, showing all his teeth and if he had been standing, he would have done his best to assume the 'top' position. "She's nicer than I am, and way more forgiving." Holding each of their gazes until they looked away in submission, he knew he had won the round. Retreating to the tree above the rest of his friends, he arranged Kagome in his lap until both were comfortable. Now, all they had could do was wait.

Miroku had always been the better talker, and he could think things through better than he could. And with the rest of his pack awake, he would feel less vulnerable. After dealing with the blond pair, he would get them somewhere they could rest and eat. Then, they could focus on getting home. Inuyasha already missed feudal Japan, and with Kagome's pack missing, his ramen.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

That could have gone better. Edward Elric decided, watching as the hanyou took to the trees with the girl wrapped tightly in his arms. Hell, Armageddon would probably go better than that. Kagome had just made Hawkeye seem like a teddy bear totting toddler. And the look in Inuyasha's eyes as he promised a very painful death if they even thought of threatening his friends, or rather pack, had made the Colonel's death glare a welcome exchange. Edward doubted that Inuyasha would have any trouble carrying out his promises.

Even though he was out of sight, Ed knew that the hanyou was still watching them. After claiming them as friends, he wouldn't leave the rest of them just because the girl had started crying.

And why she had started crying was a mystery to Ed. And she had called him stupid! But maybe he was, after challenging a chim—hanyou just because he had lost his temper. And then the things he had said. Made him want to kick his own ass. He'd always let his mouth runaway with him, and now he really regretted it.

She had to have the biggest heart he had ever come across. Standing up just because an ignorant jackass decided to stick his metal foot where it didn't belong. And she was scary. No wonder Inuyasha had ducked for cover. He would need to apologize to both of them. Not that he thought they would accept, but he needed to.

He'd just assumed, and in the process made a huge ass out of himself.

Apparently, hanyou and youkai were actually born. Wherever they had come from had mystical monsters that walked around in human form. But what was the difference between the two? Did they have 'magic' or whatever they choose to call it in there world?

A few things he did know for certain, was that Inuyasha had more in common with a wild dog than he had originally thought. Pack mentality, and he was apparently the alpha of the group. And Kagome was his 'bitch'; he would protect her with his life. Wild dogs were more like wolves than domestic canines. And if he wasn't careful, he'd find out just how far he would go to protect his pack. A misfit one, but his family nonetheless.

And he'd been stupid enough to upset one of the members. Fuck fuck fuck…

"Brother, stop hitting your head against the ground, it doesn't help us." Al watched as his brother began blaming himself. Sure, some of it was his fault, but didn't most of the blame rest on his shoulders? He was the one who had originally brought the talk of chimeras. "I assume this is why you wanted to know the distance between here and Central?"

"Yes, though I doubt even Mustang would have any better luck. But I think we'll need his help in helping them." He withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket. On it was

a small drawing of an equally small jewel. "Something this small causing this much trouble in my life; figures."

"Whoever the hell Mustang is he can keep his nose out of our business." Words came from a shrouded branch. "And there ain't no way we are going anywhere with you!"

Great, his mood hadn't improved. His excellent hearing didn't surprise Ed, dogs had wonderful hearing. "We were sent to help you!" Surely the boy knew help when he saw it.

"Wonderful job your doing!" Alphonse rolled his eyes. Sarcastic, rude, and stubborn; they'd get along great.


	3. Chapter 3

"Inuyasha, I understand that while you are right in not trusting them immediately, we still need their help." Miroku said, leaning against a large tree in an attempt to think. "We are in a strange world; we have no idea how to go home, and no idea how to survive here. As much as it pains you to admit, you know this." He looked over at Kagome, who was pointedly ignoring the strangers. "Kagome, understanding works both ways. Sango and I were the same way when we met Inuyasha, but we became friends and eventually family. Trust is earned, but you have to give them a chance to earn it."

Both sighed, and reluctantly agreed with the level headed monk. It was about four or five hours past the time Kagome had woken up and a few less when the others had woken up. Shippo and Kirara had only been awake for an hour now, and both were weak and nauseous. Edward and Alphonse had brought forth more water and a small amount of hiking fare. Both had been accepted with grace by the slayer and the monk, Inuyasha and Kagome both too angry to do more than glare at the two.

"Keh." Inuyasha crushed a small rock in his fist, and then slapped the dust from his hands. "Decide something soon bouzo; night's coming and I don't wanna be out in the open."

"Maybe our friends can offer us a place to sleep for the night, or we can find a village. I don't think staying in one place is going to help us get home any faster." Miroku turned to Sango. "What do you think koi?"

"Miroku's right. Our best chance so far rests with them. That means you, Inuyasha, need to be nice." Sango shook a finger at him, rolling her eyes when he snarled at her. "I mean it. We don't need enemies right now, we need friends."

"As long as they keep their opinions to themselves, we'll get along just fine." Kagome snapped, still peeved from their earlier confrontation.

"Keh, I don't like them. How did they know we were up here in the first place? How do we know that they are actually here to help?" Inuyasha's instincts had gotten him this far in life, and he didn't trust just anyone. Humans on a whole were liars and greedy murderers. It would take a lot more than pretty words of apology to earn any amount of trust from the group.

"If we are to leave, we need to do it soon." Ed added, now deciding to interrupt. He and his brother had been waiting patiently for awhile now for the group to conclude their talking, but with the sun hitting the far peak, Ed knew that if they wanted to get down the mountain side before dark they would have to leave soon. However, he did not foresee exactly how they planned to travel.

"Where exactly would we be going runt?" Inuyasha had so far refused to say his name, or that of his brother.

"To Winry's house, where we are staying." Alphonse cut in, directing everyone's attention from the height comment.

"Who is this Winry?" Sango asked, deciding that this boy would be the best one to talk to. The older one, Edward, reminded Sango too much of a shorter Inuyasha to ensure a calm conversation. He also seemed sensitive about his height.

"A friend of ours from way back. She and Grandma Pinako won't mind putting you up for awhile if you don't cause any trouble." This comment was thrown in Inuyasha's direction, which was ignored as he studied his claws.

"We will be on our best behavior, we promise." Miroku assured them, knowing Inuyasha wouldn't do anything unless provoked.

"Well then, we might as well go. After supper, we can talk more about what's going on." Edward swung an arm in the direction of home. "Down the mountain, no more than two hours walk."

Right then the Inu-gang noticed a problem. They had walked up the mountain, and while heading down one wouldn't take as long or as much effort, the two humans had no hope of keeping up with two running youkai. Kagome would take her customary place on Inuyasha's back and the rest would ride Kirara when they had to travel. Walking had never been an effective way to travel great distances. But with the two others, they wouldn't have a choice but to walk. Shippo was still getting used to using his kitsune magic to transform for longer periods of time, and while he was getting better at it, no body wanted to chance a ride down a steep incline if they could avoid it.

"Well shit." Inuyasha, not as dense as he appeared, had also noticed the problem. "Kirara, how many can you carry?" _Meorw._ "Three, maybe? I guess I can carry two, if they're light enough." Turning to size up the brothers, who didn't have a clue what he was talking about, he narrowed his eyes. "How much does the metal in your arm and leg weigh?"

(I have no real clue, I'm making this up.) "15, 20lbs each I think, why?" Ed hazarded, watching as the hanyou circled first him, and then his brother. No threat was in is posture, and neither did his friends seem worried. They, at least, had some clue in what he was saying.

"Feh." Rubbing his nose in his sleeve, Inuyasha decided he did not like the smell of his fake limbs. "Kirara won't be able to carry you, guess I have to."

"Excuse me?" Edward leveled a glare at him. "Carry me? Where and why?"

"I ain't wasting two hours going down a mountain when it'll only take me and Kirara one, maybe. The only reason I'm including you in the first place is because Miroku says we need you." He smirked. "Otherwise I'd leave you here to walk down at your own pace shorty."

Glowering, but decided to ignore the insult as best he could, Edward pointed to Kirara. "Even if you could carry me down the mountain, the cat wouldn't have a chance in hell of carrying three grown people anywhere."

Chirping, Kirara pranced to his feet. She did not like the insinuation of weakness this strange little kit was giving, but she knew how to correct it. Stopping a few feet away from him, she erupted in a burst of flames and transformed into her larger self. Giving him a small roar, she looked over at the smug hanyou. '_You carry him dog, I don't want to smell like oil.'_

Snickering at both her words and the dumbstruck humans, he turned to Kagome. "I guess I'll be carrying your ass too huh wench?"

"Inuyasha…" She warned, and his laughter vanished.

"How—how did she do that?" Alphonse approached the cat, and what seemed to be a few flames still flickering on her paws and twin tails.

"It's her youkai, she's a fire cat." Sango explained, laying a hand on her neck. Following her example, Alphonse began to pet, and then examine Kirara in interest.

"I can transform too, see?" Shippo, always wanting to make friends and show off, bounded into the center before transforming into his seagull shape, and then his horse shape. Bounding back into his normal form, he blushed when he found he was the center of attention and jumped up to Miroku's shoulder.

"How about you Inuyasha? Can you transform too?" Edward asked, looking dead center into the hanyou's eyes.

His face darkened instantly, his mouth pressing into a thin line. Gold eyes flashed, and he gave a sharp bark. "That isn't something you ever want to see." His ears flickered madly, and his shoulders slumped forward to throw off imaginary attacks. Reaching a hand up, he touched the string of beads on his neck. "Trust me."

Edward and Alphonse shared a look, but didn't touch the subject as they argued about travel arrangements. They missed the gentle hand that batted the hanyou's own off the beads and caressed his cheek. Kagome raised on her tip toes to kiss him lovingly on the lips. Meeting his self-loathing eyes, she did her best to dispel his monsters like he did everyday for her. Briefly, Inuyasha closed his eyes, leaning into her hand to absorb the comfort she offered, soaking it up to drive away the day's events.

...

They had traveled halfway down the mountain before Inuyasha came to a stop, sniffing the air carefully. Kirara flew above him and kept going, not yet noticing that he had stopped. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but the thick trees, while good for jumping through and making the travel easier, made air visibility poor.

With Edward hanging onto his back and Kagome in his arms, Inuyasha could not fight anything that would attack. However, with the absences of youkai scent and aura, Inuyasha had not been overly worried. Now, he was regretting that assumption. "Off." He grunted to the male and waited until he dismounted before he sat Kagome on her feet. Sniffing the air, he kept himself in front of Kagome as he scented the area. He didn't recognize the scent, not properly. But it smelled like a sick bear or boar, and an unstable with it. If it came across the trio, Inuyasha did not doubt that it would attack. A sick and wounded animal attacked anything out of blind panic and hunger. Wolves were known for attacking humans when they were too sick or old to hunt down faster prey.

It was moving in their direction. If it was either, it would sense them with the wind blowing down the mountain in its direction. With two humans on the ground, Inuyasha wouldn't be able to fight it off without worrying about their safety. Grabbing Kagome, he jumped up into the trees, well out of reach from anything on the ground. Already he could hear it crashing through the underbrush, and the earth trembled noticeably from the weight of its feet.

"Stay here Kagome. Don't make a sound." He warned, and then headed back down for the other human, who had been watching him momentarily from the ground before he realized the danger he was in. The human might not be a total idiot, Inuyasha decided, as he watched Edward settle into a fighting stance in the direction that the retched smell was coming from. However, no matter how hard the boy fought, Inuyasha had yet to see a human of his age and size stand up to a crazed animal and survive. It could take a village to kill something as weak as a sick wolf because the animal did not feel fear or pain.

Inuyasha made a single mistake though. He underestimated just how fast the approaching animal was, and though he didn't take his time, he didn't go all out either.

He had just touched down at the base of the tree when the animal burst into the small clear area he had stopped at. All of a sudden he felt claustrophobic with the beast in the area no bigger than Kagome's room at best, and it already had two males standing as far away as the clearing would allow.

If they had been in Feudal Japan, Inuyasha would have sworn the thing was a youkai. It stood fifteen feet at the shoulder as it stood on its hind legs and Inuyasha feared that it could reach up and pluck Kagome from her tree branch if he allowed it to get the chance. Ragged brown and black fur molted together, and whole patches had been torn out, wither by its own claws or others he couldn't tell. Dried blood clung to knife like claws, attached to plate sized paws. Its head was thicker and longer than a bear's, and it had boar's tusks and ears protruding from its head. The tusks jutted up like jagged white stones, long and deadly. Beady red eyes tracked them, and Inuyasha felt a small trill of fear before he threw it off. This thing was smart, and looked like it could decapitate him with one swipe, but Inuyasha had taken bigger and better things than some mutated pig.

"It's a chimera." Edward whispered, but not quietly enough.

Faster then the lumbering mass seemed, it attacked, roaring as it threw itself forward at the small human. Inuyasha gave an answering snarl, and grabbed a hold of the alchemist's waist and barreled him out of the way. The force of his tackle took them out of the way and into a nearby tree. "Can't you stay out of the way?" Out of habit, he reached for Tetsusaiga, but stopped. In close quarters the sword was useless. Well, he would just have to handle this overgrown pig with his claws.

The chimera had been thrown off by the disappearance of its prey momentarily, but it quickly righted itself and searched them back out. Planning to take the unsuspecting pair out while they were still arguing, the chimera charged.

"Inuyasha! Watch out!" Kagome screamed, forgetting Inuyasha's warning about staying quiet. The sudden noise caused the chimera to jerk in her direction, giving the boys a moment to prepare.

"Watch this!" Edward clapped his hands and slapped the ground. Blue lights sparkled, and the ground shivered as a large hand came up out of the ground to slap the beast off track. He gave another clap, this time transmuting his metal hand, giving it a sharp blade on one side.

Inuyasha ignored the weird magic in favor of jumping onto the creature's back, slashing at the thick neck. Blood spurted out, and he gagged. Even the blood smelled diseased. The fur and thick muscles protected the chimera's spine and blood vessels from severe harm so Inuyasha only caused the thing to go even more berserk. Roaring, it slapped at its back, trying to catch the feisty hanyou and throw it to the ground where it could reach it. But with the size of its paws and the lack of fine motor skills, the chimera caught more of its own flesh that Inuyasha's, even as he turned his attention to the face in hopes of catching soft tissue.

Unable to use his attacks for fear of slicing into the surrounding trees and bring them down on top of them, he was left with hand to hand skills. Tearing at the eyes and nose, he avoiding teeth and tusk as he slashed. He could see Edward out of the corner of his eye and hoped the boy would be smart enough to keep out of the way.

"Brother!" "Inuyasha!" Kirara had turned around after noticing there absence and hovered above them, knowing that adding anymore to the fry would just cause more harm than good. That did not stop her passengers from crying down to the ground as they watched a lucky hit from the chimera land Inuyasha upside a tree.

Edward had watched the hanyou attack the chimera, and had figured out a blind spot. The tusks and forward eyes did not allow the creature to see below or behind it as well as its true animal counterparts. Still, there was the problem of getting close enough to attack the soft belly or throat without encountering sharp claws or protective fur. Cutting its feet out from under it would, however, be easy.

Keeping low to the ground, Edward threw himself under the chimera, rolling to avoid one foot slamming into the ground as another swipe missed his head by inches. Swinging backward, Edward felt the muscles of one leg tear, laming the beast so it crumpled to on knee in a bellow of pain and shower of blood. Another swipe took out the muscles in the same thigh. Black blood created a fountain as it rained to the flesh of its enemies and the greenery around it. Acid hissing and cries of muted pain from the alchemist burrowed into ears, but Edward forced it back to rise his knife hand up to cut into the other leg. Landing the hit, more blood flew into the air, burning holes into whatever it landed on.

Inuyasha had a pain in his chest, arms and back, but the fire eating at his left ear was the thing that drove him into the waking world. Brushing at his ear, he smeared the fire into his hands and wrist. "Wha?" A rant of curses that the hanyou had used himself on various occasions, and storing a few away for future use, cut into his reality. Opening gold eyes, Inuyasha got up, stumbled once when he pulled a muscle in his back as the disks snapped into proper alignment, and looked at the scene he had awoken to.

The monster was still going strong, its crippled legs in no way hindering as it slashed with the front paws. The runt blond was fighting it off, but the acid burns and the one thick cut from his shoulder to the chest under the opposite armpit slowed him down considerably. On his own, the runt didn't stand a chance against the foe.

"Oi, bastard!" The insult deflected off the thick fur and did nothing. The alchemist knocked a blow aside only to stumble over a rock. Ignoring the hanyou. That usually didn't go over well.

"I'm talking to you, you great blob of ass!" The tiny black ears swiveled around amidst the blood soaked fur, but no other reaction came from the chimera. "Bastard! Your mother was a pig!"

"Stop yelling," gasp "insults and," pant "HELP ME!" Edward had fought with men for many years. Hand to hand combat kept him in shape for the war ridden Germany, and years of running from Nazis had increased his stamina. He had forgotten what it was to fight with alchemy. He had forgotten that chimeras' didn't have human weaknesses like pain. Animals didn't use anything more than instincts and blind fear to attack. He had forgotten how unlucky he was in fighting one.

"Get out of the way baka!" Digging his claws into his side that blood flowed from profusely, Inuyasha swung back, flinging both youkai and blood towards the chimera's back. "Blades of Blood!"

Edward didn't give thought to the action; he just fell into a crouch and summoned up a wall of earth around him. A screech that was not human or animal filled the air, and splattering came from the ceiling of his little dome of stone. After a few minutes, the stone began to dissolve and he gave another clap that formed a small tunnel away from the fallout zone. His head popped up out of the earth a few inches away from Inuyasha's leg.

Turning, he whistled. There was no piece bigger than his hand that had survived whatever attack Inuyasha had thrown at the chimera. A steaming dome fell in on itself as the earth gave into the acid.

"Do all chimeras have acid for blood or is that just a trait that that one decided to pull out its ass?" Inuyasha rubbed his nose, the stench of decay and perversion robbing him of his stomach's ability to hold down his food. Turning to the side, he emptied his stomach, dry heaving a few times before Edward offered him a cloth to put over his nose. It smelled of dense evergreens and blotted out the evil smell long enough for him to stumble out of the way. "Keh."

"I'm telling the others to get Kagome out of the tree. You need to sit down, your side's messed up pretty bad." Edward didn't like to feel indebted to this egotistical jerk or to anyone really, but after Inuyasha had pulled his hide out of the fire Edward decided to try to be nice.

"Feh, I'm fine." Struggling to keep his feet, Inuyasha knew he had lost too much blood even as he denied it. With the energy drain of the portal that had brought them to this backward place, he couldn't afford to lose that much anyway. "Tell Kags to…" he had to close his eyes to keep the vision of dancing trees out. "Tell her to not worry. Be fine in a few hours."

"Thought you said your fine." Splat. The silver haired hanyou took a face plant. "He's as bad as I am." The compliment fell on deaf ears and Edward went to talk to the landing group.

...

"You're sure he'll be fine? He lost a lot of blood." Al helped Kagome and Winry put up the first aide kit. It had taken longer to get down the mountain even with the help of Kirara and Shippo with Inuyasha an ungainly mass of dead weight.

"I've seen him walk around with a hole through his stomach, this is a scratch." Kagome made a face even as she said it. It always sounded infuriating when he said it, why did she have to repeat it?

"No body could walk around with a hole through their stomach, its impossible." Edward waved a hand at the unconscious hanyou lounging on his couch. "I doubt even that idiot—hey, what's baka mean?"

"Stupid, idiot, moron." Miroku had been dissuaded quickly from flirting with Winry when he caught sight of the wrench she waved around like Sango and her Hirakosu. Warrior women were so hot though… "I'm surprised that whatever's translating for us didn't catch it."

"What are you talking about?" Sango tucked in Shippo beside Inuyasha, chuckling as both boys responded to the arrangement positively. Shippo curled into a small ball under Inuyasha's arm as the elder hanyou wrapped it protectively around him.

"We're speaking Japanese, they aren't. Listen, your ears aren't actually hearing the words your mind is supplying." All six people stopped talking all at once to follow Miroku's advice and the monk rolled his eyes. "_Someone_ has to say something, or it doesn't work now does it?" Alphonse cocked his head to the side as he listened to the sound of the words instead of the words themselves.

"He's right. If I focus on his voice, I can't understand a word he's saying." He turned to Kagome. "Try me."

"What does it matter?" She conceded to the point that the garble of his voice did sound vaguely like German, but it didn't really matter what language they were speaking now, they could still understand each other. "Look, we have bigger problems than language barriers or nonexistent ones. We don't even know where we are or how to get back. _If_ that's even possible."

"Are chimeras common here? Is that why you thought our youkai friends were chimeras?" Miroku examined the radio that sat on the kitchen table, turning it this way and that before he figured out how the back came off. Seeing the collection of multicolored wires and copper circuits, he plopped down in a chair and began pulling it apart. Curiosity overcame the natural respect that he would have in another's home, he made sure to memorize where every little piece went before placing it neatly in a line.

Edward watched Miroku, mind turning over everything before he made an attempt to answer. "No, chimera's are against Alchemist Laws. Human alchemy like that, mixing humans with animals or even the poor creature we saw back in the forest, is against the law for us and the alchemist responsible for it gets put to death."

"But you have them." Kagome persisted, taking a seat near Inuyasha's head. "People break laws everyday."

Smiling thinly, Edward nodded. "You'd be amazed at what people are capable of here." Clapping his hands, he touched the radio that Miroku was pulling apart and the thing fell to pieces. "Understanding the world around us, we can deconstruct and then reconstruct," another clap and the radio reassembled itself in less time, "most anything. Humans are no different."

"Can you create a human? If you have the ingredients?" Sango thought back to Naraku's incarnations, how he could throw pieces off and have them create havoc. If everyone had that power…

"No." Alphonse stood in front of the group to shake his head in panic. "That's why it's forbidden. The things that alchemist create in their place, while trying to create humans or bring people back from the dead, are even worse then chimeras."

"Alchemists be thou for the people." Edward let out a wry laugh. "An oath I took when I became a State Alchemist. Load of shit." He worked his metal hand in anger. "Equivalent exchange, you can't gain without giving. Nice principal, but in no reality does it actually work."

"It's not magic then." Miroku sighed as he set about taking the radio apart. Seeing the thing jump back together in a crackle of blue had taken his interest. He had seen a few similar flashes before, during the fight, but hadn't been able to see what exactly had caused it.

"Magic isn't real."

"Yes it is. How do you think we got here? Clicked our heels three times and wished for home?" Kagome snorted. "It's real where we come from."

"But you're not there. You're here, and until we figure out how to get you back, magic isn't real."

"Gah! Miroku, you talk to him. I get enough of that from Inuyasha!" Kagome followed Winry out, Sango trailing after her with Kirara riding on her shoulder. "Is he always such a…"

"Egotistical know-it-all? Yeah, Ed always had to be smarter than anyone else in the room. You'll get used to it, just like you'll get used to him being wrong." All three girls giggled madly as they made their way up to Winry's room. "One of you can have the bed, and then you can switch tomorrow."

"Winry, we are used to spending nights on the hard ground. The floor isn't so bad." Sango started pulling blankets into a pile. "Kagome told me things about a 'sleepover', do you know what they are?"

"The only sleepovers I remember are the ones I used to have with the Blond Brothers down stairs. And that was years ago." Winry started to help, going to the hall closet to get extra pillows. "Grandma Pinako won't be back until tomorrow. So we have the house to ourselves!"

"Are we forgetting the horde of boys that have taken over the entirety of the living room?" Kagome threw a pillow at Sango who ducked and the pillow hit Winry smack dab in the face. "Is it even possible for us to venture down there for a drink?"

"Ah, you forget, I have this." Winry hefted her wrench, big enough to make Sango flinch at the thought of it landing against someone's head.

"Does he grope you?" The question slipped.

"No, he knows better."

"How did you manage that?" Sango took the wrench from the mechanic's hands and tested the weight. "Can I borrow this?"

"Just don't crack it. Ed doesn't like to use alchemy without it being a life or death situation." After he had come back, he used his alchemy only sparingly. He didn't like to use it for just anything, which wasn't her old Ed at all. At times Winry tried to trick him into doing it, but no takers. Al wasn't as bad, but he would take more subtle ways to avoid the situations. Alchemy became a heavy subject that was taboo for her to mention.

Making their way back down the stairs, Kagome went first, racing to the couch to check on her two boys. Shippo was still asleep, but Inuyasha was stirring slightly. The other three were gone, Miroku's staff leaning against the kitchen wall beside the counter. "Were did they go?"

"If that lecher is even thinking about going about flirting, I'll hit him hard enough to smack some sense into that rock he calls a brain." Sango swung her head around, a dog trying to catch a scent.

"They went to Edward's study. Alphonse is using the phone to call Central." Winry returned from the hallway to peak over Kagome's shoulder. "Your friend waking up?"

"Fucking wenches…"

"Yes, he is." Kagome smoothed a hand over his bandages to check them. "I'll need to change these, see if he's still bleeding."

"Keh, I'm fine." Trying to prove just how 'fine' he was, Inuyasha started to sit up, paled, and leaned against Kagome for support. Glowering, he snapped. "See? I'm hungry."

"All I see is a headstrong hanyou who's going to get seriously hurt one of theses days trying to act like Superman." Kagome replied, arranging him to reach his chest better. "Hold still. You can eat after I check on these."

"I'll get some of the leftover stew." Winry watched as he continued to struggle for an upright position, swatting off Kagome's hands as she pushed him down. Just like Ed; neither of them lay still unless someone knocked them unconscious.

"No ramen?" Inuyasha whined. If he was going to be in this strange place, they had to have ramen. No ifs, ands, buts about it.

"Ed finished off the last of it yesterday." Winry sat the bowl in front of him, amused when he took a few tentative sniffs before inhaling it in one big mouthful. "Stew's still edible, right?"

"Not ramen, but I can choke it down." Inuyasha refused to look in Kagome's direction, sure that a death glare would be leveled at his head.

Winry chuckled. Did she look like that when Ed and she were fighting? She knew that Edward looked like him when he was eating, only in a slower motion with more food flying to the sides.

Inuyasha did a once over at the room, noting windows and exits in case of an emergency escape. The table in the other room, similar to Kagome's kitchen, was littered with bits of metal and books. Clutter from the smaller table beside the couch, a coffee table he thought, moved down to the floor. A dog with a metal forepaw lay down near the door, eyeing him wearily but not giving any voice to his displeasure at the strange canine lying on his couch. He could over hear the two blonds and Miroku in another room, one of them talking on a 'phoonie' or whatever Kagome called them. Miroku was spouting off questions to the other, asking designs and symbols of alchemy. Tuning him out, Inuyasha twisted his ears to the sides, listening to the outside. Other than the sound of an owl and a few village sounds, he didn't hear any threat.

He located his pack by scent and sound, taking in that the fox kit had taken his lap as a pillow and continued to sleep. "I take it we're staying here for awhile?"

"It's not like you have anywhere else to go." Winry sat in the chair across from the trio, noticing that even though the cranky hanyou acted tough, he allowed Kagome to change his bandages with little fuss. Apparently they had gone through the routine enough to know that the script didn't change. "Wow, Kagome wasn't kidding."

Winry knew how bad the wound had been, had seen the white of the man's ribs as Kagome bound them back. Winry had wanted to send for a doctor, but quickly retracted the statement when the rest shot the idea down. Al knew more about human anatomy and medicine then the small town doctor anyway, so Winry was forced to comply with the others.

Now she wondered if the others had pulled a fast one on her. The side, while still bleeding sluggishly at some of the deeper punctures, the rest had healed at least a week's time in less than two hours. "How did you do that?"

"One of the perks of being part youkai." Wincing as she tightened the cloth into an acceptable bandage, Inuyasha raised his arms to continue eating as she worked. "One of few." Deciding to turn the subject to one he could avoid talking in, and finish off the half decent slop, he used his spoon to stab Shippo in the side. "Why is the runt sleeping on me?"

"Because you were taking up the couch and he was tired after carrying you down the mountain." Kagome ran her fingers over the finished bindings. "All done. And somehow how you avoided dropping you soup on me. Thank you."

Ear swiveling in one direction, Inuyasha called, "I know you're there monk, just get out here. Stop avoiding me."

"Contrary to your belief Inuyasha, the world does not revolve around you." Fore named monk walked back into the room, squinting at the book. He found that if he concentrated he could see the foreigner's language, but after his eyes began to squirm in discomfort he took to Kagome's advice and continued on with the passage. "Why would I be avoiding you in the first place?" Placing a stack of small handwritten books to the table, more in the way of research journals then published works, he dropped into a chair near the irate hanyou and his lovely wife.

"Keh. For all I know you avoiding Sango."

Sighing, Miroku looked up at the hanyou, marking his place with a finger. "One, I am poorly dressed to go anywhere to annoy my dear Sango. Two, matters are too serious to go gallivanting around rubbing fair bottoms." Attempting to go back to his book, he gulped as he felt waves of anger coming from his lady he decided to add another reason. "And the most important reason is because I already have the finest bottom—err, finest wife a man could hope for." Appeasement gained?

"Save it monk." No, hardly not. He would have to make it up to her later.

"What are you reading Miroku?" Kagome reached over to snag one of the books he had dropped to the table. "'_Atomic Bonds', 'Time and Alchemy_, and what are you reading, '_Alchemic Beginnings'_?"

"If we are to be here I might as well learn the magic that may have the means to get us home. There isn't much in the Time one, seems they haven't figured out time travel."

"That's because it's implausible." Edward came out, out of his red coat and shirts to allow Winry to change his own bandages. "Matter can not exist in the same place at two different times. It would throw the balance off." Seeing blank gazes from certain silver headed members of the group, he explained it further. "Let's say you have two scales, no, make it three. Each weighs exactly the same as its fellows and with no outside help to tip the weight, the scales balance perfectly." He clapped his hands, touching the scraps of metal on the table to create the set of scales he was describing. "Now, add a bit of matter to each," He added a precise amount of water to them, making sure the scales didn't fall as he did so, "and you have the world in laymen's terms. Past, present, and future." A finger jab to each scale. "Each existing in their own place."

"That's absurd." Al interrupted. "That makes no sense and you know it."

"It's serving the purpose." Ed shoved his brother's comment out, picking up a medicine dropper that he had used to measure out liquid compounds for his experiments all those years ago. Why Winry had it he wasn't sure, but again it would work. "Now, let's say you take some matter from the present, a person for example," he took just the barest drop of water from the middle scale, waiting until the scales balanced out before continuing, "and move it into the past." Squeezing the bulbous end, he squeezed just enough to get that tiny drop of moisture from the dropper into the 'past' scale. The scales quivered and threatened to dump, but didn't.

"Well, I'm impressed. Any other teachings you would like to pass onto us unworthy ones O Mighty Runt?" Inuyasha gave him a bored look, not lost but unbelieving. These 'alchemists' already admitted to knowing next to nothing about time travel, and he had traveled to the future. He leaned toward his own experience. Hell, without it he wouldn't have met Kagome. There, proof. Who the hell cared if these morons said it was 'implausible', whatever the fuck that meant. He knew better.

"Watch." Taking another droplet from the glass he had originally taken the water from, he moved to the 'present' scale. "I said it had to exist in two times." The droplet quivered in the light, hanging onto the end by a few molecules before submitting to gravity and falling into the scales.

Water swung in an arc, sailing through the air to land on an unsuspecting kitsune. Scales clattered to the table, and continued onto the floor. Edward's little 'world' had just self-destructed.

"If the person attempts to continue on in the same time while their past selves occupy the self-same space, the world goes ka-blooey." Pointing a finger at the dripping hanyou and kitsune, he drawled, "Case in point."


	4. Sparring

Russell and Fletcher Tringham were having a nice afternoon in Central. They didn't get many days off from the laboratory that General Mustang had set them up in. Of course, neither of them counted it as a day off when they had to take off work to go to Central to report in. Apparently the military had a problem.

"Well, we're here. What the hell do you want?" Russell dropped into one of the chairs across from the general's desk, propping his foot up on the edge to glare at the man with one silver eye.

To Roy, it was a look into the past. Russell may be taller and better groomed then the older Elric, but he carried himself with the same attitude when he wanted to. Annoying as hell too. "It seems…" Somehow, the flippant words that would announce the call that had sent his office into chaos (for the third time this week, you just couldn't find good help these days) did not want to form themselves. Sighing, Roy pushed a hand through pitch black hair. At least he still had that, if it started to go gray—he dutifully checked every morning—he might loose what little charm he still had. The eye-patch had the mysterious allure, but really, Riza didn't seem to be the one to be attracted by mysterious allure. Nothing was working lately and his dates kept getting canceled. Having a military wife was great and all, but his love life needed a little life breathed into it now and then. Otherwise, why in the hells did he give up his playboy career to settle down?

"Are you going to say anything or do you want me to come back in fifteen minutes when you get your head in working order? I can send Riza in." Russell had learned the ins and outs of the office. Riza ran the show, mostly with a gun to Roy's head, or other valuable parts that would motivate him to get his work done.

"A call came in yesterday evening, and I'm having trouble believing that the people are not pulling a joke on the military." It made more sense then believing that two miniature alchemists had found there way back from where they had gone to.

"So what's this got to do with Fletcher and me?"

"I need your help. I can't very well go gallivanting around the country side like I used too. I need a story. You're going to give me one." Roy tossed a folder onto the desk. "You and your brother are to accompany on a trip to Rizembool to investigate these claims and sort the mess out."

"Why can't you just send one of your cronies out to do it for you? What's so important that a general gets off his ass and goes snooping about?" Russell lent forward to snag the folder's corner, yanking it toward him. Snapping it open, he began reading the papers, the first being a report of a phone call from last night. Eyes bulging as he caught the supposed name of the caller, he looked up at the dark-haired general across for him for confirmation.

"Because if it's true then I need to be there to handle it." Steepling his hands, Roy swung his chair around to look out the window. "And if not, then we'll just have to find the pranksters and put a stop to it."

"Of course General Mustang. Fletcher and I will be ready to leave by two o'clock. Which train will we be taking?"

"Number 8, platform 9. Don't be late."

…

_Thunk._

"Are you sure he should be doing that? His side was just split open not three hours before." Alphonse placed the tray on the porch table, balancing glasses of lemonade for the group.

"It's his way of relieving stress. It's better that he's not swinging Tetsusaiga around screaming 'Wind Scar'." Kagome replied, watching as the hanyou destroyed another tree and began chopping it into fire wood.

Sango was still inside, helping Winry with the lunch dishes while Miroku and Edward hid out in the library. Both were putting their heads together in an attempt to understand what exactly had happened and what could be done to reverse the affects. So far neither had had any luck in finding anything.

_Thunk._

"A friend of ours is going to arrive tonight." Edward said, taking one of the glasses to drain it before returning to his book. Kagome couldn't make out the title, but could see the arrays and drawings on the page. "He's got more resources then I do. Plus I've been dead for a few years, around here anyway. So the bastard's going to need to sort out that mess."

"Dead, what do you mean dead?" Kagome still didn't want to talk to either alchemist, but as Miroku had said, both of them needed to work on building some type of working relationship. If they couldn't get along for any amount of time they might just find themselves in this strange world indefinitely.

"More like missing in action then dead. We just…weren't around for the last two years here." Edward scowled to himself, telling himself to shut up. "And the way we left didn't really leave any hint to us coming back."

Curious, Kagome continued prodding. "Where did you go?"

Edward sighed, tapping the book against his leg, holding his place with one metal finger. "A place called Germany."

Eyes went big, nearly popping out of their sockets. _"Germany?!_ You were in Germany? How did you get there? How did you get back? Do you think it would work for us?"

Edward and Alphonse stopped, looking back at the girl who seemed very excited for some reason. "What difference does it make to you? From your clothes and accent that we can hear behind your words, we know you're not from there."

"Germany is another country to me, but it's in the same world. What time period did you live in?" If they had lived in the same time period as her, then Inuyasha wouldn't be able to give her any crap about her telling secrets or whatever he had been babbling about last night after the stunt with the water. Even she had to admit that was funny. Of course a wet Inuyasha, his puppy ears dripping water and that pout in place, was so very cute. Just don't tell him that.

"1939 was the year we arrived. 1944 was the year we left." Scowling, Edward tried to change the subject. "Why? Where did you live?"

1940's? That was World War II. They lived in Germany during the Second World War! If she wasn't out of school, she could have used them as an historical goldmine. "Japan, but—"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelped, slamming a hand over her mouth. "What the hell did we just talk about?!" He hissed in her ear, glaring daggers at the metal armed alchemist across from him. "No telling!"

Fighting with his hand proved futile, as he was blocking her mouth from any attempts at using the kotodama. Working her tongue through her lips, she tried licking his palm for a reaction. It always worked with Souta when he was being a brat.

"Stop that Kagome, it ain't gonna work and I'll just rub your spit all over your face." Apparently sibling germs were scarier than cootie germs, or Inuyasha really didn't care. Retracting her tongue, she folded her arms across her chest and assumed the 'Inuyasha pout' position. Granted without the actual pouting lips, it left much to be desired.

"Mmmmph!" She growled, glaring back at him. "Nho rhamhgn!"

Frowning, Inuyasha lifted his hand a bit to hear what she had to say. "What was that wench?" It sounded like she was threatening his ramen.

"SIT!" _Wham!_ "Idiot! It's not like they're going to tell anyone important! Sit! Jerk!" _Wham!_ Standing up, she rubbed furiously at her mouth to get the taste of woodchips out. "Next time you go grabbing me wash your hands first, stupid!"

Turning on her heel, she slammed the balcony door shut as she went to find better company. Leaving three stunned, one by his sits and the other two by the show, males to look after her.

"Damn wench." Inuyasha mumbled into the wood, still under the effects of the necklace. "It wasn't me blabbing to every ear that'll listen. She should know better by now…"

"What the fuck just happened? She just says sit and you hit the floor?" Edward gapped, understanding now why the large brash hanyou would fear the girl. Hell, if Winry had the power to subdue him with just one word, he'd never step within hearing range of the demented wrench wielding manic.

Glowering, Inuyasha pried his head from the floor boards. "Keh! Do you think I smashed into the floor on purpose?" Yanking first one hand and then the other free, he managed to extract himself from the hole.

Kagome stormed through the house, pissed and understanding. Understanding that Inuyasha was just trying to protect her, while sticking his foot up his ass in the attempt, and pissed because she just had to be understanding.

Baka. Jackass. Stupid overprotective jerk that always had to have the final say. See how he liked it when she made sure that he got no ramen! For as long as possible!

She passed Miroku in the hall, nearly shoving him into a wall as she stomped toward the mechanic rooms where Winry and Sango had retreated to. Angry and not in the mood for apologies, she glared at the poor monk and continued on her journey. She wanted to rant at ears that would understand her point of view.

Miroku raised an eyebrow. It seemed whatever peace that had taken hold of the volatile pair was over now. He was going to miss it.

Sighing, he followed his feet to the porch, where he could hear one irate hanyou cursing the kotodama, Kagome, and the world on a whole. He brushed a hand down the shirt and 'pants' that the younger alchemist had given him. He didn't have to mention that any clothes from Edward would be too small and Miroku grinned to himself when he remembered the sputtering that he had given when Alphonse had shoved him from the room after being called small. When he had gotten over the initial shock shouting had shock the house, something about an ant and an ameba having children. It seemed the short alchemist had a problem with stature. Or lack thereof.

The clothes felt confining. Not too tight, just—odd. He was used to the free flowing robes of his late station. He had to say that he looked good though, the gripping fabric of the shirt showing off his muscles. Sure he wasn't as bulky as Inuyasha or even having the strength of his wife, but he did have them and without the folds of robes he could show them off. Sango had seemed to like them, after she stopped blushing and stuttering to form a sentence.

Walking out onto the porch, he raised an eyebrow at the scene. Inuyasha had split his side open again, must have been from his sits. Best not to tell Kagome that. She seemed to be in a bad mood and if she heard that she had hurt Inuyasha in anyway because of her actions she'd take it to heart.

Edward grumbled to himself, trying to work out how he got to the point of rewrapping the hanyou's wounds. They had healed drastically since last night, but they still bleed freely after his little endeavor with the floor. He had to figure out the necklace, maybe which was a link to the portal?

"Can you hurry up runt? I don't want you or the wench fussing over me more than damn well needed." Inuyasha growled at him, but held still long enough for him to do his work.

"Who are you calling so short that he'd drown in a raindrop!" Ed snarled, yanking on the white strip in his hands in retaliation.

Smirking, Inuyasha looked down at him. "That don't hurt none. You'll have to find a stick or something, shorty."

"Don't call me short!" Ed was literally jumping up and down in anger. The only time he ever got this pissed was when that bastard colonel picked on him! "Bastard! If you weren't hurt I'd kick your ass!"

"I'd like to see you try. I could still take you, like this and without my sword. Might want to find a ladder first."

"Brother! No!" Too late, Edward had already tackled the hanyou. Forgetting his words of not attacking him while he was hurt, he knocked the hanyou back of his chair and towards the stairs. Ending up in a tangle of limbs and long hair, the pair rolled down the stairs, too unbalanced to throw fists. Upon hitting the ground, Inuyasha fought to gain room to get to his feet. Damn, that was fast! He was expecting more banter, but whatever worked.

Ed grabbed his leg, sending him back to the ground as he got to his own feet. After a few tries, both males ending up in the standing position, hands raised and clenched. Inuyasha smirking and Ed snarling in a white rage, they waited for the other to attack first.

"Brother! Stop! No fighting!" Alphonse was ignored by both, but Miroku managed to stop him before threw himself in the middle of it.

"Inuyasha won't hurt him too badly. And I think your brother can stand up for himself. I think the pair of them are just bored and at ends because of yesterday's words. Let them work it out." Miroku told him, even as he pulled a sutra from his pocket. He was used to them being in his sleeve, so it took him a moment to remember where he had placed them.

"Well pipsqueak? I thought you were going to kick my ass?" Inuyasha called, laughing as he blocked the attacks of the alchemist. He was startled at the force and accuracy of them, but being faster he could stop them with ease. "That all you got kid?"

The blow to the face, automail, blind sighted him and he went head over heels onto his ass. Swiping at the blood from his nose, he missed the kick that went into his chest and went down again. _Damn, he packs a bunch with those metal limbs of his._ Inuyasha managed to dodge another blow, giving Ed a swipe to the head in retaliation. There was no way he was getting beat up by a little brat.

Ed reflected the swipe with his automail arm, wincing as Inuyasha's claws hit the metal and sent up a screech familiar to nails on a chalk board. He realized that the hanyou didn't have any formal training, just relying on his speed and brute strength to win.

Close quarter fighting had always been a strong suit of the alchemist, and he realized that with the longer limbs and the need to put force behind his blows the hanyou would be at disadvantage to it. But as he pressed forward the hanyou darted back, his abnormal grace and speed allowing him to avoid the closure that Ed sought.

Shirtless and only a few ribbons of white across his chest, Inuyasha felt rightly naked as a flurry of fists flew at him. The metal blows felt like a rockslide against his arms as he blocked strike against strike. Nothing like fighting his brother, who like to use that damned whip and Tokijin, Edward pressed close, using his size to get under his range and drive him back. And he was fast! Not as fast as a youkai, but faster than any human he had fought, the damned monk included. But as he stopped another blow, he noticed that the ripples of muscles told him that Edward was pulling his blows. He was fighting to win, not to actually injure anyone. Huh.

Inuyasha didn't know wither to be insulted or not. From the force of the attacks Edward wasn't pitying him or anything of that sort. But he wasn't hitting him as hard as he could. And a small part of him was thankful. If he gave his all and hit him with his metal arm or leg, he might do some harm. Not much to a hanyou like him, but nothing to scoff at either.

All taunts stopped as they fell into the rhythm of the fight. Inuyasha blocked more than he attacked, but even defensive he was wearing Edward down. With one of his arms weaker than the other, only slightly of course, he found that Edward was worth sparring with. Edward felt the same. At first he thought that the hanyou was playing with him, only defending and never taking the offensive, but after awhile he noticed the look of concentration on Inuyasha's face. And the one blow to the side had winded him after he had been too slow to stop it.

"Well Edward? I'm waiting for my ass to be kicked." Inuyasha huffed, despite himself feeling winded. Grunting as the alchemist knocked a metal hand against his head, narrowly missing one ear, he circled around Edward to kick him in the middle of the back.

Anticipating the attack, Edward used the momentum to roll forward, clapping his hands as he went. Slapping them against the ground, the ground rolled and trembled as several spikes of earth shot at the hanyou. Using them as stepping stones, Inuyasha shot into the air, twisting in an arc to lever himself behind the alchemist. Edward slapped the ground again to form a pitfall, earning a yelp and curse from the tricked hanyou.

He hadn't made it very deep, and when the hanyou jumped straight into the air he gulped. Maybe he should have made it deeper. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Inuyasha called, throwing blades of youki at the alchemist. Clapping his hands, he hit the dirt, forming another dome to protect himself. Inuyasha had not used his full strength either, so though the dome was ripped to shreds, only a few small scrapes appeared on the human.

The sun was approaching the evening mark, and when Inuyasha landed he noticed a small crowd had gathered. Kagome looked rightly pissed but she hadn't said the word yet. Sango and Winry stood by a short old lady that looked too much like the babaa to put the hanyou at ease. As Edward shook dirt from his clothes, he noticed the crowd too.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Inuyasha snarled, crossing his arms gingerly across his chest. Despite himself he raised his eyebrows as a mottled collection of black and blue circles adorned his arms. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

Edward came to stand beside him, working his flesh arm in a circle to stretch it. He hadn't had a work out like that in awhile. And he knew that it was only on pause. There had been no winner, and it had only just been getting good. He wanted Inuyasha to show him that attack again, maybe not on him per say, but he did want to see it again. Along with the one's he had used at the forest.

"Supper's done brother, Inuyasha." Alphonse came forward with two towels, passing one to the hanyou before coming to stand in front of his brother. He had been scared more than once, but at Miroku's and Kagome's insistence he didn't get involved. And they had been right. After the chimera attack yesterday, he knew that Inuyasha could have done much worse to his brother.

"Thanks Al." Edward wiped at his face, telling himself that he could fix his shirt later. Luckily he hadn't been wearing his leather jacket or he would have been in worse shape. "Later then Inuyasha?"

Eyeing the younger male with a raised eye, Inuyasha shrugged after a moment's thought. "Keh, if you're up to it."

...

Later did find them, and after setting up a good distance away from the house in a small field did the fight resume. The sun was slipping away but there was still a good hour or two left before they would need to stop.

Kagome had been against it, but had conceded to Inuyasha after she found that his wounds were pretty much healed over. Edward had dealt with Winry similarly.

Stretching out, Inuyasha threw his haori and inner white shirt kosode to the side as he watched his soon to be opponent do the same. Edward had literally dragged him away from the table after they had finished eating to finish their fight. No one had ever run _to_ him in regards to a fight.

He really hoped he didn't hurt him. Even with a chest wound, that had thankfully stopped bleeding, he might do damage. He had never been able to control himself when he fought with others. He had hurt Miroku on more than one occasion because the idiot wanted to spar.

It started out slow, them circling the other before lunging in to take a quick attack before darting back. Blood already trickled down from a split lip and Inuyasha glared angrily from his swollen eye. They had only been fighting for ten minutes or so and he had been hoping to be doing better than this.

Ed didn't take the time to curb the blood flowing from his lip or nose, keeping his eyes on the pacing hanyou in front of him. Something definitely predatory in his approach as he darted forward once again to rain another volley of blows at him. Snapping his arms into place, he absorbed them with his automail, keeping it up as his opponent's claws dug into the metal. A bare foot whirled up in his peripheral vision, aimed at his head. Dropping to his haunches, he snapped his metal foot out at Inuyasha's standing leg, feeling the whush of air ruffling his hair as the kick went over his head. Gold eyes flashed as pain radiated up from his leg, causing him to tumbled backward.

Edward figured the best thing at this point in time would be to get some space between him and the yelling hanyou. Yes, lots and lots of space before he leveled another attack. Flipping himself backward and landing like a cat on his feet, he turned around and booked it. Years of running from people, wither it be rouge alchemist, a village mob, or Nazi, he had become quite apt in it.

He heard the hanyou getting to his feet and ran faster, if that was possible. He remembered the hanyou running in the forest, even carrying two people. What the fuck had he been thinking seconds ago?! There was no way in hell that he'd be able to run faster than the dog hanyou and only be able to keep out of his reach for a few moments. All he needed was a few seconds of space and he'd be able to do some of that fancy alchemy that he was famous for.

A curious sound that he hadn't heard in years came from his left, and he chanced a look at it. One look was all he needed. Dropping to his knees he clapped his hands together and slammed them into the ground, raising an earthen wall that towered a good thirty feet into the air. Inuyasha came to rest atop him, more of a crash as he rebounded off the circular wall that Edward had erected to save him from the roar of flames that rushed against the barrier.

"What the fuck was that?!" Inuyasha said, climbing to his feet and grabbing the back of the crushed alchemist to place him on his own. Giving him a quick once over to make sure of no broken bones; which there should have been after having 150 lbs of hanyou crash into at warp speed. "Oi, you ok?"

"Fine." Edward squeaked, steadying himself before turning to the wall the fire had went up against. It was already like an oven in the protective walls, but he could feel the heat rising as the rush of flames continued. "Damned idiot."

"Fire huh?" Inuyasha was only mildly uncomfortable from the heat. "Wish I had my haori."

Edward's metal limbs were beginning to heat up and he shifted uncomfortably as he awaited the eventual end to the bastard's attack. He didn't have the energy to do a continuous flame.

Inuyasha looked at the little alchemist, frowning. If he had is haori he would pass that over but all he had was his hakumu. "Oi, could you transmute this into a coat or blanket or something? And put it back later?" He couldn't very well let the little idiot bake, as it seemed to be doing.

"Why?" He held his arm out away from his body, watching as it started to smoke.

"It's fire proof." Inuyasha shucked them off, leaving himself in his white under hakumu. "Do it, it'll help with the heat."

Clapping his hands proved painful, but the reduction in heat was an immediate relief. The blanket that came from the expansive pants covered him and there was still some left over. "What about you?"

"Hanyou remember?" He said, and crouched down. "It's fireproof. Get under it and then get rid of the wall."

It was starting to get hard to talk for the both of them, and Ed was forced to do as he was told. The wall fell outward, and Inuyasha flew out, feeling the fire wash over him as he went. He wasn't worried about Edward, he had left Kagome in the fire rat to know that the bout of fire would not touch him directly and the heat wouldn't bother him. But the heat washed over his skin and scorched the fur on his ears.

Darting to the side, he came at the dark-haired man from the right, seeing that the man had an eye patch on his left eye. And was blind from attack on that side. (As they are standing, if they are facing each other it would be Inuyasha's right and Roy's left) The arm that had been raised fell and the other came up, the flames dieing down. A snap of his fingers and weird ass gloves sent a fire ball over his head inches to the left. Damn, he had good aim.

"Gloves!" Edward called from behind him. "Get the gloves!"

Gloves it was then. He wouldn't kill the man yet, he had a feeling that Edward knew him. Throwing himself into the air, he yelled out a quick 'Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!', aiming to the side of the man at a large oak tree.

The man had to leap forward to avoid the falling tree, and Inuyasha used the moment to land atop him, locating the other two males in the background. Snatching one glove of his right hand, he twisted it up behind him as he went for the other one. He managed to snag it and accidentally tore it at the back, ruining the red circle thing on the white fabric. It was rough and grated on his fingers like gravel, but he could care less. All he did care was stopping the man before he hurt the damned runt or one of the others.

Wrapping his arm around the male's torso, he gave a spin and threw him, sending him a good ten feet before he skidded like a rock across water. Following after him, he jammed his hand under his throat, lifting his head into a painful position. Kagome had signed him up for a class or two at the local dojo and he had learned a few tricks from his brother. A wrong move from the man and he would snap his neck with a small move of his wrist.

Snarling and showing his fangs, he leaned in real close to breath into the male's face. "And you are?" He snarled, keeping his voice low in a vicious manner.

The pale man blinked, looking startled as if wondering how the hell he had ended up on his back with a rabid inuhanyou atop him. Good for him.

Showing more teeth, he flexed his claws from where they dug into his arm. "Answer the damned question bastard, or I'll start biting."

"Nice Mustang, haven't seen you in years and you try to bake me." Edward had came up behind him, taking note of the Tringham brothers that were watching wide eyed as the hanyou threatened the superior officer. "So, Fuher yet?"

"Fu-Fullmetal?!" The pale man sputtered, but didn't fight Inuyasha's hold.

"Promise not to do anything? I don't think Inuyasha's very patient." Edward said, picking up the two gloves, waving the ruined one around in the air.

After waiting for an answer, Inuyasha snorted and withdrew, jumping lightly to his feet. "You got to be kidding me. The man's an idiot." Surely this wasn't the 'friend' that was going to save their asses. Please kami no.

"Unfortunately, he does seem to find his brains in whatever bimbo he's dating." Edward supplied, keeping the blanket wrapped around his right arm. "My arm is made of metal idiot. It gets really hot when exposed to flames."

"I thought—he—he was attacking you! I just saved your life." Roy Mustang managed to get out.

"We were sparring stupid. You think I'd be stupid enough to let a chimera chase me around? Do you think that they," he waved his flesh arm in the direction of the approaching group, "would let him?" Scoffing, he bent down to peer at the older alchemist. "One too many blows to the head Inuyasha, you've made him a full retard."

"Keh, he already was one." Inuyasha grunted, shooting a glare at the approaching blondes. They looked similar to the Elrics, but different in eye color and stature. He grinned, eyeing the taller one. He didn't miss the taint of fear that went through the boy, and he crossed his arms across his bare chest to smirk at them with teeth exposed. "And who are these idiots?"

Edward rolled his eyes in their direction, pleased to find the shocked expression on his rival's face. "Russell and Fletcher Tringham." He went back to the man on the ground, who was still too shocked to haul his ass up. "This is Roy Mustang. I'm not sure of his rank though."

"General Mustang, thank you Fullmetal." Roy snapped, keeping his eyes on the violent and oddity of hanyou. "Who is this?" He waved a hand at the silver-haired man, making sure to seem non-threatening. He had been startled when the walls Edward had erected had fallen, leaving his flames to shot forward unhindered. The demon that had emerged from the flames, trailing smoke and fire after him like a devil from the depths of hell, had caused him a moment of unsettlement. He was not used to having his attacks brushed off as nothing. And the sheer speed of the chimera had sent his head reeling.

"This is the hanyou, Inuyasha." Alphonse came up beside him, holding clothes in his arms. Inuyasha took back his shirts, leaving his fire rat with Edward. "And his friends Kagome, Miroku, and Sango." They had left Shippo and Kirara with Granny, as Shippo had went to bed with barely a complaint.

"You made it back then, huh short stuff?" Roy said, dragging himself up. "Sorry about the arm I guess."

"DON'!" Edward threw his arms into the air.

"CALL!" Trees shook, and Roy blinked at the capacity of the short alchemist's lungs.

"ME!" Alponse shook his head, waiting for his brother's newest tantrum to run its course.

"SHORT!"

...

Sesshomaru picked his ward up, placing her upon Ah-Uh's back. Rin was so tired from walking, but Sesshomaru did not like this odd place. He didn't want to chance stopping as he drove onward.

It smelled of smoke and metal and fire. Lights burned in the night, but no fire erupted from them. Noise of large villages along with a strange blaring and clanging of metal found its way through the night.

This strange world had come from the portal, and until he figured out a way to get back, Sesshomaru would not stop.


	5. Dogs

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin asked, keeping her voice soft and unpresuming. If her lord did not want to answer her she would not press it. Sesshomaru-sama had been much more distracted and guarded since the strange light. Maybe she should offer him a massage or something; the tension in his shoulders and back must be killing him. But he didn't want to stop. This was bad. Even when she was younger she was able to pick up her lord's moods. Lord Sesshomaru would press for three to four days at a time, and then stop so that Ah-Un could rest and eat, and at times do so himself, but never to this extent.

"Yes Rin, is there something you need?" Sesshomaru answered, stopping to look back at her. She did seem a little weary; perhaps it would be best to find a place to stay for a few hours. Not for the night; he could feel his brother's youki coming from the southeast. Maybe the distance of a week or so. Sesshomaru would feel more at ease if he had his brother's youki to feel against his own. The total absence of any form of youki except for that of his brother and the two smaller youkai that traveled with him severally unnerved him. He knew it wasn't of his world, and that made it all the worse.

"I am tired Sesshomaru-sama. May we stop for awhile my lord?" Rin asked, seeing the minuet changes in his expression as he thought. Ah-Un grumbled beneath her, and her lord turned to look back at her.

"Yes, but not for long. Stay with Ah-Un. I will go and find food for you." Turning on his heel, he made his way back into the forest.

...

"So you're telling me that they just showed up? That a gate of some kind opened up and dropped them here?" Russell Tringham shook his head in disbelief. "Are you sure you're feeling altogether well? Maybe the Gate took that genius brain of yours as payment."

"Shove it up your ass Russell." Mustang chuckled as Edward growled right back. "I know what I saw, and I know what happened. I spent seven years in another world and got back to this one because I made a deal with a woman I know nothing about past a little folder and a drawing on a piece of paper."

"Enough, the pair of you." Mustang drawled, swirling his cup and what was left of his drink around. Two Edwards was not something he wanted to deal with. His head hurt, courtesy of the beating he had obtained from the hanyou earlier. "Now then, as much as I'd love to help you with your little problems, I can't."

"I figured as much when you said you were a General. Who are we at war with now?" Edward swung his attention back to the man. Kagome, Sango, Winry, and auntie Pinako had gone to bed leaving the men folk in a council of sorts. Miroku and Inuyasha were sitting on his side of the table, while the three alchemists sat across from them. Books, papers, and various journals were scattered atop the table top, and a few glasses acting as towers amidst tiny wooden islands.

"Drachma this time." Mustang sighed, and then rolled his shoulders. "Xing is siding with us on this one, and Ishbal is staying neutral for the most part. Haruko is an idiot if he thinks he's got the war in the bag though. Drachma is not like Ishbal and Xing, they use alchemy just like we do and have no problems with using it for war."

"Who started it?"

"We did, just like last time. But now we don't have monsters to blame it on. Haruko is picking fights for the purpose of war, pure and simple. And I can't figure out why." Mustang growled, rubbing at his temple. "He's making mistakes, underestimating the enemy. He's sacrificing people left and right and could care less."

"And the people let him?"

"No one knows of our loses. The media only knows of the victories, they don't know the numbers it takes to get them. The military is taking money faster than the public is making and isn't returning a dime. He's hiding it as best he can, but with the fighting…"

Russell, much like Edward, protected his younger brother. He was all he had left. And he knew that war and the talk of human transmutations to come would not be suitable for his ears."Fletcher, I think you should go to bed." Russell said, frowning thoughtfully.

"But Russ, I'm old enough!" Fletcher whined, though he knew that he would lose in the end.

"No. I don't want you hearing this." Russell snapped, glaring down at his younger brother. Whatever Edward had done with Alphonse during his travels, Russell wasn't going to expose Fletcher to the cruelties of war any sooner than he had too. And this war wasn't even normal by any standards.

"He's right. Alphonse, you too." Mustang added, watching as the two younger boys, though Alphonse was much older than Roy expected. So was Edward, and the brat had added a few inches to his height. Still, Edward was better prepared for what he was about to tell and the other two strangers needed to hear this.

Taking his cue from Edward, Alphonse sighed and rose. Ed of course wouldn't keep any secrets from Al that he thought needed sharing but if it was as bad as Roy seemed to be hinting at…

Waiting until he heard the door shut and the hanyou nod that yes, they had actually gone to bed, Roy continued. "Tucker seems to have shared his work, or he's still alive. Functional chimeras are coming out from Drachma and they aren't the garbled mess that amateurs just screwing around produce. These are like the ones at Devil's Nest."

"You wouldn't have sent the two kids out just for that, right?" Miroku pressed when Roy fell silent. "And I'm not sure of what you're talking about, are the chimeras at this Devil's Nest more functioning or something of the like?"

"The chimeras that followed Greed, at the Devil's Nest, were combined heavily with humans to give them intelligence but without remorse." Edward explained, then looked over at Inuyasha. "In a way, there very much like hanyous I suppose, or like Shippo even. Usually people messing around with chimeras only mix animal with animal, producing creatures that don't last very long. Shou Tucker, on the other hand, was or is a sick fuck who figured out how to combine DNA that lasts. He made a chimera out of himself, and out of his wife and daughter." He sneered, remembering the domino effect of that one alchemist who had dogged his steps up until the climax of the Gate. "I wouldn't be surprised if he lived, or even if he managed to make a chimera copy of himself like he tried to do with…his daughter. But Miroku's right, that isn't all you sent Al and Fletcher away for, is it Mustang?"

"They have red stones." Mustang said flatly, twisting the pyrotech gloves in his fingers. "Like the ones of Ishval, their alchemists are creating mass destruction and we can't do a damned thing!" He slammed his hands onto the table, nightmares of the past nipping at his mind.

"How many?" Edward felt the blood drain. Red stones, created from the souls and bodies of living people. Imitation Philosopher Stones. When Mustang didn't reply, Edward snarled at him. "How many Mustang?"

"Four, that we know of for certain." A strangled hiss came from the short blonde, and he shoved his chair away to stagger to his feet.

"And how fucking long have they had them?"

"Two months. They're using our soldiers as fuel. Tucker and whatever knowledge that our military had on red stones is being used against us." Mustang watched as his ex-subordinate muttered angrily to himself, raking his hands threw his hair and stomping around. "We've been at war for about a year now."

"Can I ask a question? What the hell is a red stone?" Inuyasha spat, trying to wrap his head around the concept of picking a war just to wage war. It sounded like the humans of Kagome's time. They didn't need much to start a fight and the human cost was staggering.

"An alchemic booster made from human life. Stepping stones for a Philosopher's Stone." Russell spat, glaring hard at his superior. He hadn't known of the red stones. His father's research must have been used in creating them, along with the ones in the last war and in Xenotime. "Any reason why I wasn't informed?"

"Because frankly it was above your head. And it isn't my place to tell you anything I don't think you need to know." Mustang glared right back; stressed, sore, and pissed. He always felt this way when it came to whatever messes Edward came up with.

"It's like looking at mirror." Edward mumbled to himself, watching his ex-commander tear into the other blonde. Not that he didn't think that the guy didn't deserve it, but it did give him a certain feeling of nostalgia.

"And a Philosopher's Stone is…what?"

"It means different things to different people. But, most of the myths circle around it being a stone of immeasurable power. Elixir of life, granter of immortality, and riches beyond dreams. It's been a sought after fancy for decades." Edward growled, trying to put his thoughts in order. "To make one, you have to take a small nation or large city and basically use them to make it. Something magnificent and powerful borne of the blood of thousands. I've only seen one ever made…and I don't think it'll be useful in getting you home."

_It sounds sorta like the Shikon no Tama. _Inuyasha thought, watching quietly as the alchemists began to argue among themselves about time and space travel. Apparently the runt should be younger, but he had spent a different amount of years on the other side of some 'Gate' or whatever. Maybe the Gate was like the well, only certain people could use it and it remained in a fixed time. No matter how long on one side and it flowed pretty much in one direction on the other. _But the Shikon came out of youkai and a miko. And there has never been more than one. _

Why would Drachma be making red stones? Are they trying to make another Philosopher's Stone? Even so, they'd need to arrays from Scar, and those were complicated and incomplete. Arrays made by a mad Ishvalan tended to be so. And then you'd need someone to control the stream of power and concentrate it enough to even make decent red stones. "Mustang?"

After being silent while Roy and Russell fought over the improbabilities of Gate travel, his soft call of Mustang's name startled Roy out of his silent 'I'm right and I'm ignoring you' routine. "Yes Fullmetal?" The name sounded out of place, and hadn't been used by either Elric or Mustang for years. Old habits die hard.

"That names dead Mustang, has been for years." Yes, Fullmetal had died long before he had came back through the Gate the second time. Alchemy had never really meant the same to him after the homunculi had killed him. He didn't want a dog's name, didn't want to be on a military leash any more than he had too. Now, at least, he was Edward Elric and he would maintain that name as long as he could.

The smirk that had worked itself up onto his lips left as Roy listened to Edward speak. True, he couldn't really expect the boy to want to be a State Alchemist any more, but to hear him say the words aloud…brought back painful memories. "Of course Edward, what is it that you wanted?"

"How are Creta and Aerugo siding?" Edward asked, watching as Roy narrowed his black eyes as he thought.

"Both have been at war with the other for the past three years, before we even starting talking about Drachma, but Creta won. Aerugo has lost land, military power, and the money needed to do war with us. Right now they aren't a threat, but Creta is deciding to be difficult. If they side with us, we win the war. If they side with Drachma, we lose. Xing is too far away to be of any real help, but the supplies and manpower that are promised in coming would be very helpful. Creta is demanding more than ever, and Drachma is in the process of giving." Mustang reported, acting as he was reading from a written report. "If things get any worse for Amestris, we'll have to do an alchemist draft." He turned his dark eyes to the frozen Edward, who knew exactly where he was going with this. "I've done everything I could in the past to protect both you and your brother, but if a draft is issued and you don't show up for it the repercussions on your family and my standings will be devastating."

"How do you know that I'll even show up on that damned list? I'm listed as dead!"

"Alphonse isn't. He's filled your shoes after you left and when you came back to Central the first time with the suits of armor, I listed him as MIA, and you as well. I didn't think things would get this bad, and if you ever showed up again I wanted a contingency plan. If I had known that a war is coming, I would have signed the death certificates myself. If they come looking for you Edward, they will find you and the Fullmetal Alchemist won't be dead any longer."

"What then do you suggest we do? Re-enlist?"

"No, far from it. I won't put children in a war Edward, not again."

"I'm not a child Mustang, I can take of myself!"

"Not this Ed and I won't let you. You shouldn't have been in the military at twelve, and I won't force you to relive my sins."

"It's not about you Mustang."

"Yes, it is. Call it selfish or blame it on my god-complex, but I assure you that I will do everything in my power to protect the two of you, and the two Tringhams if it comes to that, from the ravages of war." Roy folded his hands on the table, leaning forward to make eye contact. "Ninas aren't confined to mad alchemists Edward, and you don't want to be a Tucker."

…

_Northern Mountains of Drachma_

A tall, thin man of his early thirties stood behind an oaken desk. With his silver peppered hair and haggard lines from stress and the rigors of his military career, he seemed much closer to fifty. The five stars that decorated his shoulders declared his rank of General and he examined the line of chimeras in front of him with cool indifference.

"These are the finished items?" Twelve men like figures stood in rows of three deep, military posture and blank red eyes forward. They breathed in a smooth symphony of at ease relaxation. Only two of the finished chimeras, added to the twelve to make a final fourteen, were animalistic. "Will they fair better than the one that disappeared into Amestris?"

"Yes General. We do not understand why the portal malfunctioned, but instead of sending it into Central like we had planned it was transported into southern Amestris. We managed to recall it, but…" The head scientist, a woman by the name of Sara Firwirst, reported. "It was in less than functioning condition. Only a few scrapes of flesh that had the anchor array inscribed in its flesh materialized."

"And these have the same arrays?" General Zurric asked, approaching the men. "The two cats? Are they ready for shipment?" He stood in front of the two sitting chimeras, only in the vaguest sense of imagination related to a feline, to study them. Even staring into the Draft horse sized chimeras mouths, he didn't flinch. He had confidence in his scientists abilities to train and program his new pets. If they didn't, well then. Whatever damage would be recreated doubly so into their own hides, often at the hands, or paws, or the things that had went out of control.

"Yes, General. The two felines are ready for combat. However, that is not the only new information we have for you General."

"Oh?"

"Yes, the portal that we created to transport the bear chimera was not the only portal that opened. As far as we can determine, two others have been activated. Both contain high levels of power. One in a twenty mile radius of our malfunctioning portal target zone and the second thirty-five miles south of West City. The first spike had a higher power surge, but the second had less mass going through."

Douglas Zurric stiffened. He had been assured that only his people had the knowledge to control and activate the small portals he used as his power base. Without them he was dropped back into the level playing field of the rest of the Drachma military higher ups. "What are you saying Firwirst?"

"I do not think that Amestris activated them, or are even aware of them. They had a bizarre energy signature that is not like any of the ones we've used before." She replied.

"Can you locate the portals again?"

"Yes General Zurric."

"Good, split the new chimeras into teams. Send them through by tomorrow."

…

_Somewhere in Xing _

"He's gone again."

"Yes."

A pause, and the older shadow spoke again.

"How is your automail doing?"

"Fine. I wish he would stay in one place."

"It is not our place to question the Prince."

Ran Fan sighed, but didn't reply. Yes, as loyal servants and guards of the imperial family, they could not speak against their master, but still! Was it too much to ask that he remain in place for longer than two blinks? No, Ran Fan did not think so, but her grandfather remained silent on the matter.

"The library again?" Ran Fan whispered to herself, and then shook her head. "No, we just left."

"Prince Ling!" A call in the market place turned their path into the lighter part of the city.

A crowd had gathered as they arrived, and Ran Fan shouldered the bodies aside with a careless shrug of her shoulders. Fu hung to the shadows, assessing the shadows and hidden dangers as he left his granddaughter to deal with the situation as she saw fit.

Her master knelt in the dirt, arms braced against the ground to keep his hair out of the filth he spewed from his mouth. Food, blood, and bile spattered into the dust, and the once proud boy shook with exhaustion.

Panic and resignation won over as Ran Fan shoved her way to his side, watching as he coughed and tears of pain raced down his cheeks. "Prince Ling!" She demanded, afraid of the upcoming stage of his attack, wondering just how long it would last before her prince came back. "Ling, please…" She whispered, working around him to encircle him with her flesh arm. "Shh…it'll pass…shh…" She didn't know who she was comforting, her master or herself.

Slowly, the attack withered away, leaving the body shaking and heaving. Fu came forward with a water skin moments before disappearing back into the crowd. Holding the mouth of the bottle to his lips, she forced him to accept the liquid to at least wash the vile taste from his mouth. Tearing a scrap of cloth from her uniform, she damped it and began to wipe his neck and face.

Black soulless eyes flickered up, and she knew that she would have to deal with the alter ego of the prince. The alter ego that had dwelled in his body for the last two years was tearing him apart bit by bit. Even as it healed him with its stone, it hurt him.

The price of immortality was an eternity of pain and blackouts.

"Ahh, Ran Fan isn't it? Where am I this time? Still in the Imperial City are we?" The voice that came from Ling's body did not belong to her master. Greed had taken over.

"Yes, we still reside in the Imperial City." She said blandly, knowing that any argument, insult, or attitude that she took with the monster would not even faze him. In fact, he often turned it to her and laughed at the blush that crept around her mask.

"Another attack? The boy must love pain…you did tell him my message, correct?" Greed stood, slapping dust from his clothes with a sneer. Already he was making his own little plans. Good food, a bit of entertainment, and new clothes would be wanted.

Stony faced, Ran Fan nodded, already falling into shadow mode as her prince and his possessor strode through the market. Instead of the seemingly mindless ramblings the prince had perfected and used as a disguise, Greed sauntered through the crowds, smirking at the passing people with a leer.

Her prince and a monster. What sort of twisted fairy tale was this?

…

_Back to Rizembool_

Fletcher and Russell had taken over Edward's makeshift bedroom in the den, leaving him to split the living room with Mustang, and Miroku. Alphonse was splitting his old room with Shippo. Inuyasha had opted to sleep outside in a tree.

Edward, however, was not sleeping. He had taken a lantern out onto the deck and a stack of books to continue with his studying. He couldn't get to sleep, nor did he want to try. Nightmares would be on the prowl and from experience he didn't want to have them in a house full of people. In Germany he had stayed in a few safe houses while hiding and nightmares didn't go over well. Apparently he screamed…rather loudly. Nightmares bled into night terrors and at times he couldn't be woken.

All the bastard's fault. He shouldn't have said that. Wither he was right or not was besides the point. He knew the story behind Mustang, knew what blood stains lingered from Ishval. Orders were orders.

Rubbing at his eyes, Edward fell into thought. It was too coincidental. Ayra, the portals, the war. Something connected them, he knew it. Ayra hadn't said anything, just that it was his mission to make sure that Inuyasha and the rest got back into their own war. How she had known that they would have been jumping between worlds told him that she knew more than she was saying. And the stone that she had shown him…another Philosopher's Stone? Who had it? Did they already create it or was it his job to stop it from being created?

He wasn't getting any reading done, but his thoughts wouldn't leave him alone. If he and Al got sent to war, because Al was old enough to be enlisted without any requirements or conditions, Mustang wouldn't be able to help them, no matter what he thought. Mustang had cleaned up after him for long enough, and he was too close to his goal for Ed to chance messing it up. Bastard, making him feel guilty. The joys of maturity and the burden of guilt.

Without picking up the lantern, Edward stepped down into the yard, shoving his hands into his pocket and walking aimlessly.

Inuyasha had been watching Edward for awhile, used to staying awake for long periods of time. Truth be told, last night had been all he needed for awhile, and with the argument that the alchemists and his friends had gotten into had left him thinking. Chimeras obviously weren't good things here, and there had been no mention of a chimeras being created for anything other than weapons or military research.

The dark haired alchemist, the General, had been jumpy around him, and that just pissed him off. It always did. If he wanted to hurt someone, he'd do it! Not pussy foot around it like his bastard brother. He'd take his claws or sword or some shit and just do it. But humans always thought that he was playing with them. The other two had been just as scared. Sure, it had been amusing and he _might_ have done a few things to encourage it but surely it didn't count for the fact that they didn't even _look_ at him? Edward had been nice enough to acknowledge him at the discussion, and he didn't really have much to attribute, but still!

Whatever the General had said had hit a nerve, and Edward had left the room in a mess. With his nose, Inuyasha smelt the sheer terror and sorrow that swamped him, and he had to fight his instincts to stop himself from jumping across the table at the older man. The runt had saved his life twice now, and he was putting himself out to help his pack out. Everything in his honor and since of worth demanded that he return the favor. However, he had sensed the need to protect from the man and no malice or cruelty in him. A bond of sorts had formed between the two men and family often hurt to keep the other safe.

The blonde was mumbling to himself. He paced along the dew wet grass, the clear night air ruffling in the warm breeze. Inuyasha couldn't really hear what he was saying, but by the way he was jumping around, he wasn't very happy.

"How long has he been out here?" Speak of the devil, the General shall appear. Sighing, the hanyou looked down at the dark haired man as he lent against his chosen tree. It wasn't as comfortable or as spacious as the old Goshinkbo, but it would have to do. He wasn't spending the night with the rest of the humans in the small house. He could hear them breathing and snorting from his tree. No fucking thanks.

"Keh, never went to bed."

A heavy sigh, and the scent of remorse comes of him. Of course he felt it, Inuyasha had sensed it as he had spat the words, but it hadn't stopped him. "I did what I had to do."

"Convincing me or yourself?" Inuyasha threw down, scowling at the branch he was resting on. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He wanted to sit here and figure out a way to get his pack home.

A dry chuckle and the General made a shuffling noise. "Myself of course."

"You should apologize." Think Kagome thoughts. That's what Kagome's advice would be, wouldn't it? She was always so much better at this supportive shit. Hell, he didn't even like the guy.

"Easier then it sounds. Ful—Edward is not a forgiving person. And I hit below the belt."

"Feh. I didn't get what the fuck you were talking about and even I got that. I take it Nina was that fucker's kid?"

"Yes. Edward was quite attached to her. The little girl made a very big impact on him." Quiet for a few breathes, and then he spoke again. "She called them both 'Big Brother'. I hated myself for setting him up with Tucker, but I didn't know at the time what a twisted man he was."

Inuyasha pondered on how to phrase his question, then said screw it and went in with his usual blunt style. "What did you mean, he could be a Tucker? I don't see him fucking with a kid like that."

"The military will make you do things that pass imagination and preconceived limits. The evils of man are not limited to the chains on the soul. I have seen things that would kill him. I refuse to let that happen."

"Sounds like you're underestimating him."

"No, I've known him since he was twelve. And no boy should go through what he did. He grew up and acted a man, in his own immature way. He held onto his innocence, through everything." The General looked at the pacing figure, which had stopped his mumblings and jerking to walk calmly, hands in pockets and head to the ground.

Kagome thoughts. _'Sit!' 'Stop that!' 'Think before you act!' 'Stop cussing!' 'Do the best you can with what you have.'_ The last one fit the best. "Just…hell I don't know! Talk to him. He's been in a piss ass mood since yesterday." Not that it wasn't Inuyasha's fault.

"You know…you're not as bad as I thought you were. Were you protecting yourself or Edward earlier?" The General said, turning the conversation away from it. It seemed that men were very familiar with this technique.

"Both, neither. You ever do that again though and I'll put my sword through your guts. Scared the fucking shit out of me, nearly cooked the runt." Inuyasha picked at his hakumu. They didn't feel right, though Edward had assured him that they were exactly as before. "Instinct mostly."

"How bad was it?" Referring to the end of Edward's little screaming match as he collapsed in a gasping pile of cooked flesh. Winry and Kagome had fussed over him, much to the amusement of Inuyasha and the concern of Alphonse. Edward had not been amused or concerned; he had spent most of the babying screaming at Mustang for cooking him in the first place.

"Eh. Kagome managed to make something up, Winry helped." Kagome did most of the work. Most of the herbs were different here, but she, the genius that she was with doing miracles, had cooked something up. "Winry said there was a little bit of 'heat damage' or some shit like that to the 'nerve wires' and she'd have to fix them, but other than that. He's good."

Edward seemed to have noticed them, because he had stopped at the edge of the property some fifty yards away and looked to be looking in their direction. He shook one leg out, and then the other, and then started their way.

"Go somewhere else." Inuyasha demanded. He was not giving up his tree damnit! He liked this tree! He claimed this tree as his for the rest of the time they would be in this fucked up war and he wasn't going anywhere!

"What—"

"Go away!"

"Fine!" Came the indignant reply. Really! It was a tree for Gate's sake! He reminded Roy of a younger Edward.

Walking back to the steps, Roy seated himself at the bottom to await the blonde's return. Somehow, he would have to face the kid.

…

_Xing…_

Greed loved his little adventures. Prince Ling had the power and privilege to get whatever the fuck he wanted at the drop of a name, and he didn't have to hide himself in some little dive at the edge of town. His father thought he had taken his memories, but not entirely. He was Greed, and he never gave up his possessions.

The food was good, the drinks better, and the women fantastic. The little voice in his head, however, was not.

_'When I thought of being immortal, I didn't think of hovels and brothels.' _The brat was never truly gone, just like he had never been truly asleep.

Ignoring him, Greed waved to a few of the serving wenches to gain their attentions. A Sake bottle already stood empty, but good beer or ale wasn't served in Xing. Maybe a visit to the west would be in order…not like the little shit had anything better to do. With the Emperor in better health for the next three years or so, the little princes and princesses were all playing their games to gain position. Not that Greed had any plans of loosing to any of them. Oh no, his own little puppet would be in the throne, dancing whatever jig he pulled on his strings.

_'Your disgusting Ran Fan. I want to go back to the library.'_

True, the woman had followed him in here. He had told her time and time again that he didn't need protection while he pranced around in the skin. She refused to listen, staring at him from that ridiculous mask.

_'Stop thinking about her!'_

_**'You're the one that brought her to my attention.'**_ A small lie, but one that he used in all of these little arguments. _**'And you have those thoughts more than I do. The one thing you forbid ourselves to have. Why?'**_

Silence, good. The brat finally shut up! Always, the girl filled his thoughts. And he knew why. _Love_, or whatever humans called it. The only thing he didn't want or need. Sharing a soul, however, pressed it on him bit by bit.

A range of emotions that he had never wanted now engulfed him at the messiest times. Guilt, fear, anger. Anger was good, but the self-righteous rage that he got at watching someone get beat or mugged was not something he wanted. Finally, he had found something that he didn't want and had no drive to obtain. However, it got shoved down his throat as he shared his mind with that of the brat.

_'You will never touch her.'_

_**'Never say never my dear brat.'**_

…

_Rizembool_

Ed approached the man with a slow gait, careful not to press to hard on either leg. Hobbling was out of the question as both limbs had mild burns, even if the automail had nearly seared the flesh at the port. What did Mustang want now?

Ed knew that avoiding the war would be pointless. The stones that Drachma were creating were his business. Mustang could pitch whatever fit he had in mind and Edward knew that he would still get dragged into it. What he needed to concentrate on was preparing for it, not wasting time on trying to get out of it. And Mustang knew it, even when he refused to admit it.

Mustang stood up when he got within ten steps of the man, nervously twitching his arms as he fought the need to help him. He remained silent as Edward heaved himself up the stairs, keeping his hands up as he walked behind him encase his burning leg gave out. Next time he'd let Inuyasha beat him up, right after he was through with the bastard.

Settling into his chair, he watched as Mustang fiddled with his sleeves in silence.

"About earlier Edward, I should not have said that." Mustang hedged, forcing his black gaze to meet the burning gold of the younger male.

"But you're not sorry that you said it."

No, he wasn't. Roy sighed, rocking back in his chair as Edward went back to his books, turning the pages slowly.

"You're not going to keep me out of trouble Mustang, so why risk your position to try?" The words broke the five minute silence, hushing the crickets that had started up in the time. "I'm here for a reason."

"And the reason is to get killed in some fucking war? Get real Ed, you're smarter than that."

"And so are you! Chimeras and stones Mustang! Shitty little portals that drop people from the middle of no where! Drachma is up to something bigger than some goddamn war and Hakuro may damn well be involved. Fuck, if what they say is true, Inuyasha and the rest aren't even from this side of the Gate!" Edward shot back, fighting to keep his voice at a level that wouldn't wake the household.

"You don't think I know that? You're so smart Edward, why don't you be General and I'll stay here and be the bookworm! You don't know what war is like Edward, and I'm going to keep it that way."

Edward stopped whatever smart remark he had been coming up with. Roy didn't know, didn't know the things he had already been through. "Roy, I've been in a war before. What do you think I've been doing for the past seven—two—years? I know what to expect. I know what you're doing, and I'm grateful for it, but I don't need it. Russell and Fletcher will, but Al and I don't."

"What happened to you, wherever you where?"

"Life. I grew up Roy. I'm not a boy anymore, sorry to disappoint."

"Edward, I don't think I've ever really been disappointed by you. Surprised, outraged, one-upped, and a slew of pissed off, but never disappointed. You surpassed every limit and preconceived notion of 'prodigy' that I have ever had. Hell, Ed. You came in and literally destroyed a few theories and created more arrays then I could grasp. You taught Hughes codes and decryptions while you studied. You added to my alchemy so that I wouldn't be useless in a rain storm. Alphonse finished every question, only missed three, and was the youngest to pass the written ever. He is more ornate and delicate in his alchemy then you but what he lacks in strength he makes up in smarts. He can detach his _soul_ and command inanimate objects. You may feel that you fail at everything Edward, but you have finished everything you lay hands on. You restored your brother! You destroyed homunculi left and right. Without you we'd still be slaving under one, or melted down to slag for a Philosopher's Stone. How can you possibly think that you have ever been a disappointment?" Roy was breathing hard, having poured every little thought he had hidden for the past ten years. Every single thought and guilt-ridden word that had eaten him away for the past two. "You and Al were the sons of my company and saviors of man."

"Bastard. You're trying to make me cry." Came the sniffled reply.

"Perhaps, is it working?" Roy chuckled, the tension leaving him.

"Shut up."

Roy stood up and walked around the table, pulling his military jacket off as he went. Wrapping it around the boy's shoulders, he ruffled the boy's hair. "Don't stay up too late brat. I have a feeling tomorrow will be just as hectic as today."

"Sure dad, whatever you say."

…

~End of Chapter~

_A/N_

Ling was not in the anime (though I am hoping that he will be in the new series!) so I'm mixing characters around. Ling is and isn't in control of his body, it's like Multiple Personality Disorder, only with a painful kicker. When ever Greed takes over, he rips Ling's insides to shreds as he manifests. But, being immortal (lucky him), he heals almost immediately.


End file.
